


Love Amongst the Dragons: Gales of Yesterday

by Kuno



Series: Love Amongst the Dragons (The Dragon Prince/How to Train Your Dragon AU series) [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - How to Train Your Dragon Fusion, Angst, Bonding, Chaptered, Dragon Riders, Dragons, Drama, F/M, Family, Inspired by How to Train Your Dragon, Prequel, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-03-07 17:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18878062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuno/pseuds/Kuno
Summary: In a sentence, Prince Callum doesn't care for dragons. He has his reasons for not being a fan, but the Dragon Ban has expired and now his life is full of them as the Dragon Keep has finished and everyone around him is preoccupied in making sure everything is ready for the Xadians arriving so the dragon rider's training program may succeed. Now, Callum is up to his neck in everything that has to do with dragons as he does his best to satiate some dangerous curiosities, wrestle sorrowful memories and support his stepfather, King Harrow, in this time of redemption.





	1. The Dragon Keep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wordswithdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordswithdragons/gifts).



Katolis was the first of the human kingdoms to have dragons. 

Callum was sure to keep a healthy distance away from them as they came through the gates, chained and muzzled or drugged. There was no way, at least, they would be brought to the castle. No, that was too close to home, but just outside of Katolis castle where a large field of forest had been cleared would do fine. The building had taken months upon months to build and been equipped with the best dragon proof equipment this side of the human kingdoms. The stone used to build its walls and towers high were magicked by mages handpicked by Lord Viren and even King Harrow himself. The guards who patrolled the compound were some of the best warriors, mercenary, loyal subjects or otherwise these lands had to offer. 

The Dragon Keep was Lord Viren’s proudest work and expense. A very manifestation of his practical solution to guarding Katolis from the forces of Xadia should war ever come again. 

After all, the treaty had expired a little over three years ago, when Callum was only eleven, maybe twelve years old. The peace treaty itself was still in effect, but the five years were up for the ban on dragon riding among the human kingdoms. Not that the human kingdoms had much in the way of using dragons for military might anyway. It had been a budding system sprouted by occasional stray dragons meeting and bonding with humans they encountered, but no army, no real system had ever been put in place. Discussions and plans had been underway as the war sparked by Thunder’s death had gone into it’s bloody lengths, Xadia and Katolis going to blows over the whole matter. 

His stepfather, in the end, admitted to his wrongdoing and submitted to the peace terms. King Harrow was not a man who favored war. Had never been a man who favored war. Seeing his people suffer and lose their lives for a war that had his name on it was too much to bear and was willing to trade the human kingdom’s legal, political right to dragon ride like the Xadians for the chance to end the war. 

Xadia took it. 

Elves and dragons bled, too, after all. 

Five years was the time agreed upon for the ban on dragon riding. Just long enough for Xadia to secure its borders and for the two factions to transition from wartime to peace. The peace treaty as a whole would last for another five years, at least. 

Callum wished the ban had lasted longer. 

He’d come to the Dragon Keep just out of curiosity. To draw the creatures from a distance, high up on the walls where the fireproof chains could be pulled over as a ceiling to keep the dragons from escaping and unleashing their fury on any human settlements they came across. In the back of his mind, Callum could see red scales and long, white teeth, but pushed the mental pictures away. He knew those memories would surface upon seeing the dragons brought into the keep and had steeled himself for the sake of art and curiosity. 

That all being said, it didn’t mean he was in total agreement with Lord Viren. 

“My King, you have nothing to fear.” Viren always tried to keep his relationship with Callum’s stepdad more formal in the public eye regardless of the fact that their longtime friendship was no less of a secret. He walked beside Callum’s stepfather. “These dragons will cooperate once we get them settled and into their training regimens.” 

“Will they be out of their chains?” King Harrow eyed Viren. 

“As much as we can let them be,” Viren said slowly. “They _are_ dangerous beasts. We have to ensure our own safety.” 

“Of course,” Harrow crossed his arms, observing the dragons being brought in. He frowned at the restraints. “I can’t argue with that. But I expect them to be treated well, Viren. These are powerful creatures and we should be bridging relations with them. Not destroying them by dragging them down in chains.” 

Viren met his king’s gaze with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Not entirely. “Of course. Rest assured that this dragon rider’s training program will succeed under my watch. No dragons or potential riders in harm’s way.” 

“I expect as much.” 

Harrow nodded as they continued perusing the ground. 

“Do you think he means it?” Ezran watched them. “Lord Viren, I mean.” 

“Mmm, maybe,” Callum looked up from his sketch. The dragon that just came in was particularly interesting, a long necked creature with long horns and a body to match. “I think he’ll try, at least.” 

It was also no real secret that the king and his closest advisor occasionally clashed. Lord Viren was granted certain leniencies at times as a longtime friend of the king. Being High Mage of Katolis also didn’t hurt. 

“Aren’t they amazing, Callum?” Callum nearly dropped his pencil when Claudia put a hand on his shoulder. She pointed down at the keep grounds below. “Hey, make sure you sketch that one that just came in. The one with the long neck.” 

“I-I’ve actually just about finished that one,” he chuckled, his cheeks warm and suddenly finding it difficult to keep his grip on his pencil steady. “Did you want it?” 

“Ooh, are you sure?” Claudia was a couple inches taller than him, olive eyes and black hair against fair skin. She always mesmerized him a bit. Or made him completely lose focus on everything all at once. There was never an inbetween. “You work so hard on them.” 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. I can just do another one later.” He ripped out the sheet of paper neatly. Her fingers brushed against his as he handed it over to her. He sucked in a breath. 

“Wow, thanks!” She smiled, looking over the sketch. “This is so good. I’ll pin it up on my wall when we get back.” 

He could have fainted when she said that. He swore he nearly did. 

“Clauds, you need to come training with me sometime. Then, you’ll get borderline sick of seeing them.” 

Flying in, Soren’s dragon, Varius, always reminded him a bit of a wolf. Or a bit of a bird. Both, somehow, all coiled into a blue and grey dragon. Callum swallowed hard, but didn’t move immediately back like he wanted to when Varius landed near them on the wall. Soren dismounted, patting his dragon on the side. Varius bobbed up and down like he did whenever Soren praised him. 

“The king wanted me to let you know it’s time to go.” 

Ezran frowned. “What? Already?” 

“There’s a lot of work to be done before the Xadians arrive. Probably tomorrow. They want everybody out of the way so the keep workers can do their jobs and get the place ready.” 

Callum stuck his pencil in his notebook and closed it. He wasn’t entirely ready to go, but perhaps this was his limits with dragons for one day. On the wall or not, there was a nervousness that he couldn’t quite shake. This was enough for today. 

“C’mon Ez,” he nudged Ezran. “We can come back tomorrow if you want. I’m sure the king won’t mind as long as we’re not in the way.” 

His little brother was darker than him, with large blue eyes and thick, wiry dark hair versus Callum’s fair skin, dark, messy but otherwise straight hair and green eyes. After all, Ezran was the king’s blood son. Callum was not. A fact that, occasionally, someone like Soren might mention. Most of the time, Callum ignored all the stepprince comments. Even the times when he occasionally wanted to make a remark about what it must be like to be Viren’s son. Or at least considered one. But he shoved those thoughts away. They were spiteful thoughts and, for everything Soren was, he didn’t deserve that. Even if he occasionally pushed Callum’s buttons and had fun with it. 

“So, stepprince, want a ride on Varius?” 

Like that. 

“Soren, _stop_ it,” Claudia scolded, unamused. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Soren said sincerely. “Bad joke. But seriously. It’s time to go back so let’s hurry it up since I have to be the one to escort you and I’ve got to get back here to help my dad get this place in order.” 

Callum didn’t argue, trailing behind Ezran to put some distance between himself and Varius if nothing else. He perused the grounds again, the dirt floor crawling with soldiers and keep workers alike. 

Another creature was dragged through the gate on a wooden palette, tied down from head to tail in a way no other dragon seemed to. But the dragon didn’t squirm. From here, Callum could see the cloudy grey of his scales, his horns the only thing free on his body. Teal marks streaked from his eyes like the tattoos of the Xadian elves. Callum had seen an elf once, maybe twice in his life as the war ended and peace talks had been negotiated. He remembered their tattoos and something about the ones on this dragon reminded him so much of them. Or maybe it was the long, sweeping horns. Unlike the elves, however, he had one longer pair and one shorter pair right behind those. His wings were strapped down, crescent shaped spines along his back, wide at the end of his tail and shrinking until they reached the middle of his back. 

Those crescent spines uncurled, then curled again as a soldier came too close. He growled, pupils a black slit against the blue of his eyes. Or were they green? From up here, he couldn’t tell. 

But he did know one thing. That was not a happy dragon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! First of this fic. This fic in particular, which is the first of a series, is meant to have about 15 chapters total. It's a prequel to give you guys an understanding of how everything came to be once we get to the third, longest part of the series. This is the beginning of it all and how Callum meets his dragon, how he meets Rayla. The setup of how Callum gets to where he gets to, but you'll have to read more to find out. I want to get most of this finished before I really start posting on schedule, but I'll probably try to drop chapters as I keep progressing because this fic has a very finite amount of chapters in general.
> 
> I love hearing reviews and getting comments because it lets me know what you guys think and how you guys like what I wrote (if you did)! It keeps me motivated and going to write! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	2. A Class of Their Own

A thunderstorm rolled through just as evening came and lasted through the night. 

“You boys hear that storm last night? Vicious, wasn’t it?” Harrow sat at the head of the  table as servants placed their breakfast before them. “The thunder didn’t scare you too much, did it Ezran?”

“No way. I wasn’t scared,” Ezran said. “Bait was, but I wasn’t.”

His face and subsequent yawn said otherwise. Bait croaked and changed to a slight reddish tint. 

“Of course, son,” King Harrow chuckled. “Callum?”

“Yes, sir?” Callum looked up from his plate.

Harrow’s smile twitched a little. “The thunder didn’t keep you up did it?”

“Not really. It was more the wind if anything. It was blowing pretty hard out there.”

“Indeed, it was. It’s not often we get those kinds of storms, at least they don’t last very long. Anyway.” His stepfather wiped his mouth with a napkin and put it aside. “If you boys want to come along to the Dragon Keep, that’s where I’ll be spending the majority of my day. I need to inspect the place before the diplomatic party from Xadia arrives, and that thunderstorm didn’t help. I have to make sure those dragons are comfortable and well cared for. The new arrivals must be scared.”

“Not to sound like a jerk, but…” Callum searched for the words. “why do you care so much? I mean, besides training for new dragon riders.”

Harrow sat back, thinking before he spoke. “Well, think about it like this. How would you feel if you were them? We have to capture them to bring them here, so they’re only trying to defend themselves. And we owe it to them to treat them kindly and with respect. Dragons are intelligent creatures. I believe they can sense your intentions.”

Callum hunched his shoulders. Great. He wondered what they thought of him.

“It’s alright to be scared, Callum,” His stepfather said gently. “I understand your reservations. But, if this training is to work, we need the dragons to trust us because we’ve earned it.”

Callum could agree with that. Dragons may not have been his favorite creatures in the world, but he held no hate in his heart for them. 

He just wasn’t so sure the dragons felt the same about them.

-:-:-:-

Later, when Ezran ran off -- no doubt to the baker’s for jelly tarts -- Callum found himself more curious than he ought to be about their Xadian visitors. They would arrive anytime now, soon, really, and Callum thought about the situation they were all in.

In order for the dragon training not be seen as an outright threat, Xadia would have their warriors watch over the entire operation for a time. This put everyone a bit… on edge. Even though the war was over the populace didn’t suddenly accept elves. Most humans outright hated them. He doubted the elves felt much differently about humans. 

King Harrow had their council, including Viren, welcome their visitors in the courtyard. Just as the Xadians were at the gates, Ezran finally popped  up on the scene. “Where were you?” Callum said out of the corner of his mouth. 

Ezran lined up next to Callum. “I lost track of time.”

Bait croaked.

Callum looked down sharply at the toad. Wait, did he really bring Bait?

Ezran caught his  look. “I can’t just leave him in the room,” he whispered. “He’ll get lonely!”

Callum shook his head, admittedly more amused than anything. “Ssh, here they come.”

The elves to speak of were a mix from all over Xadia. Sunfire, Skywing and some Callum had never seen before. He couldn’t help but notice, however, how the majority of them were the white-haired Moonshadow elves. He knew a little about them, but not very much. Their tattoos were indigo, and they looked every inch the elite warriors his stepfather and Lord Viren had mentioned them to be. They carried weapons on their backs or strapped to their sides and they moved with a lethal grace. At least, their apparent leader was all of these things.

Most of the party was on foot, their dragons at their sides or their backs, but certain elves seemed to stay in the air. As he landed, the elven leader stroked the back of his dragon -- a very large dragon -- and dismounted, approaching the humans with a straight back and a no-nonsense attitude. 

“Welcome to Katolis,” King Harrow nodded a greeting. “It is our honor and pleasure to welcome you and yours to our castle. You must be Runaan. I pray last nights’ storm didn’t make your trip too difficult.”

“Your concern is appreciated,” Runaan said politely. He was like stone. “We’ve endured worse conditions. Athena has flown through many a storm.”

“She’s a magnificent creature,” Harrow noted. Indeed, Athena was a large dragon, but an elegant one. In fact, she reminded Callum of the heavily bound dragon from the day before, angry as ever as they left the Dragon Keep. She was white with powerful hindlegs, deep teal markings streaked from her eyes and crescent shaped spines made her all the more dreamlike. Her horns were even longer than the silver dragon from yesterday and she stood with pride. “A titan wing class?”

Runaan nodded. “A Midnight Crescentback.” 

“Ah, a Moonshadow dragon. Striker class. I hear their breed can go invisible.”

Athena had noticed the humans ogling her, concern, fear and admiration mixed in among their expressions. She let out a soft snort and promptly disappeared. The humans jolted. Some even backed away.

“At will, yes, but she will behave herself. All the dragons we brought are our most trained. And you have my word there will be no concerns on account of us or our dragons.”

“Your word means a lot to me and the concern of my people, Runaan. I hope we can foster this peace and cooperation further. That is what all of this is about, after all.”

Lord Viren, standing at King Harrow’s back, seemed less than pleased, but put on a mask of politeness and goodwill. “My king, perhaps the elves are tired and would like to rest? We have the stables ready for their mounts and food should be ready for them shortly.”

“You’re absolutely right, Viren. You all must be tired. Please, join us. We’ll show you to your rooms.”

There was one last elf in the air. Runaan whistled, and she circled on a white dragon almost identical to Athena. They shared the white scales and markings of Athena but smaller in comparison. Callum noticed their markings were a pale purple color rather than the teal of Athena’s.

The rider landed. She dismounted.

She was a Moonshadow elf like Runaan with fair skin and medium length horns. She was Callum’s age; her white hair was shoulder length and eyes an intriguing violet, deep blue triangle tattoos trailing from her bottom eyelid down her cheeks. There was something similar to her attire that resembled Runaan aside from the teal and deep blue colors.

They rode these dragons a lot, Callum realized, noting the arm wrappings and long boots on her. She was sleek and looked born to ride. 

“This is Rayla. The youngest of us here. And her dragon, Luna.”

Luna snuffed at Rayla as she dismounted and received a pat on the side in response.

Rayla stood beside Runaan and bowed to the king. “Your majesty. It’s an honor.”

She sounded like she’d practiced that. After a lifetime of these kinds of meetings, he knew when someone had practiced not too long ago. 

“Welcome, Rayla. Is it your first time outside of Xadia?”

Rayla nodded. “It is.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. Now, come. I’m sure your day has been long.”

As the elves walked by, Callum found Rayla among the party. He couldn’t help it.   
   
She looked back as she passed and found him as well. Just for a moment.

-:-:-:-

“I thought the elves were supposed to visit the Dragon Keep today?”

Soren was kind enough, today, to keep Varius down in the Keep stables instead of bringing him up to the walls with Callum. Kind enough after a scolding from Claudia. 

“They’re being given a few days to rest, and it also gives us time to batten down the hatches on this place before they do.” Soren told Callum. “Elves are picky when it comes to dragons.”

“They believe in harmony with the dragons and stuff like that.” Claudia said.

Callum felt his face warm with Claudia being so close. “Really?”

“It’s their thing, I guess.” Claudia nodded, but shrugged all the same as they looked down at the trainers guiding the dragons across the dirt floor. “Hey, where did Ez go? I thought he was with you when you welcomed the elves?”

“Not sure, actually,” Callum shrugged. “He just said he had somewhere to go and would come find me later.”

On the floor, the dragons, presumably the newest ones, were starting their training. The sooner they could be trained, the better it was for everybody when the Xadians visited the Keep. The trainers stood face to face, each with one dragon. 

Callum didn’t know how they could stand being face to face with them like that knowing full well how said dragons could breathe fire at any moment. Some of the  dragons were not small in any sense of the word. As if on cue, one of the dragons lit his horns on fire, the blue flames reminiscent of some underworldly hellscape. He bobbed his head threateningly, snarling with eerie distaste. His sclera were black, irises a terrifying green.

“Oooh, a Helheim Manticore. Those are scary. Never really wanted to ride one of those,” Soren said, wincing at the sight. “Gotta be careful with them. Never know which part of themselves they might light on fire.”

“A Helheim Manticore?” Callum repeated.

“Mmhm,” Claudia said. “You find them mostly in Del Bar on this side of the border. Whoever discovered them probably made one really angry, and the thing set its whole head on fire or something. Maybe it looked like a mane? Never really got the logic behind the Manticore part…”

The Hellheim Manticore’s trainer grabbed the staff at his side and yelled like a madman, waving the staff around until, to Callum’s surprise, the dragon backed down. This happened several times throughout the dragon’s exercises. They even nearly had some of them flying on command once or twice. 

The method, strange as it was, was effective on even the biggest of the new arrivals.

All except one.

The silver dragon Callum from the day before.

He sat there, tail swinging back and forth slowly and the crescent shape spines along his back tight. Again, his trainer, a large man with black hair and muscular arms, tried to get his obedience, getting closer to him as he started yelling and swinging the staff over his head.

Irritated, the silver dragon took one look at him.

Then, it snatched the staff out of the trainer’s hand with his teeth and tossed it aside, growling a warning.

“Oh, great. A Tempest Crescentback. Those can be difficult.”

“Wait, like a Midnight Crescentback?”

Soren blinked at him. “Yeah, actually. They’re a related species, but a Tempest is a storm dragon and they’re pretty rare. They’re both striker classes, but a Midnight is a tertiary sharp class.”

“What does that mean?”

Soren crossed his arms and faced Callum. “Really?”

“Soren cut it out. How’s he supposed to know?” Claudia scolded. She set green eyes on Callum and he nearly melted. “Well, you know how dragons and elves are connected to a primal source, right?”

Callum nodded. 

“Well, dragons take it a step further and they’re classified on 3 levels. Their primal source and up to two levels of a function class.” She put up eight fingers. “There are eight function classes: Stoker, Grounder, Tracker, Curse, Sharp, Striker, Enigma and Chaos. Stoker classes are all about their fire. Grounder classes eat metal, so they spend a lot of time on or under the ground. Tracker classes are usually more predatory and have the best sense of smell and taste. Curse classes are poison-based and usually give off some kind of substance that affect you physically, sometimes magically.”

“You can guess what a sharp class is all about. They’re all about their fangs and claws. Striker classes are powerful and fast.”

“Striker classes are the worst to fight against. They’re accurate. They’re powerful. Everything about them is built to hunt and endure. They’re the warrior dragons,” Soren said. “Then you’ve got the Chaos and Enigma classes, but they’re pretty similar.”

“What are they like?” Callum says.

“Enigma classes are mysterious. We don’t know a lot about them or there’s not enough to put them in one of the other classes. Enigma classes aren’t notably aggressive and won’t take you down on sight.”

“What about Chaos class dragons?”

“Run. Then, pray.”

“So...” Callum looked back down at the Keep. “What class is a Tempest?”

“Storm dragon. Striker class, tertiary chaos class.”

Callum raised his brows.

The Tempest growled and opened its mouth, light crackling dangerously at the base of its throat. A chain and a muzzle snapped it closed. Then, another chain and another and another until they tied the Tempest down again. The other trainers on standby came over and dragged it away, throwing it into a nearby cage. 

Some bit of guilt settled in Callum’s belly. He heard one of the trainers give some orders. No food, no water. 

“Isn’t that kind of cruel? He’s probably just scared.”

For the first time today, Soren smiled sympathetically at him. “I never really wanted to be like that with Varius. Good thing I didn’t have to. He was good as long as I had treats.”

Claudia sighed. “You don’t want to do it, but it has to be done. If a dragon doesn’t listen, then it needs to learn. Otherwise, everybody’s in danger.”

He supposed that made sense.

“Yeah,” he said quickly, uncertainly, following Claudia across the ramparts. “I’m… sure you’re right.”

-:-:-:-

The days passed and Callum always followed Harrow to the Keep at one point or another. Sometimes, he went by himself after he finished breakfast. Other times, he would go when his stepfather went. He always brought a sketchbook. He’d sketched the Helheim Manticore, Varius and several of the other dragons, including the Tempest.

The Tempest stayed in his cage.

Perhaps, it was the Tempest that kept him coming back and, after the fourth day, Callum couldn’t keep the curiosity -- the worry -- from his thoughts. Was he even eating?

He looked like he wasn’t. 

Seeing the trainers waving those staffs at the dragons didn’t help, but his last straw was when he glimpsed the trainers occasionally hitting them. 

Callum wasn’t… the greatest fan of dragons. It was a known fact, but he was even less of a fan of this senseless use of violence. Not to mention, his stepfather would not approve if he was there for those antics. 

On their way to the Keep on the fifth day, Callum mentioned it and was less than happy when he came face to face with Lord Viren on the issue.

Lord Viren’s office in the Keep sported dragon horns and scales in a way a scientist or, in the case of Lord Viren, a dark mage might decorate their space. 

“Harrow,” Lord Viren said tersely, but politely. “I have everything under control. These beasts need to be traininged under a tight regimen if we are to get anything done. They’re dangerous and the safety of our people is the topmost priority. If we have them on a loose leash, they may as well run amok. Which, may I remind you, would end with many, many deaths.”

Harrow sat in the chair across from Viren’s desk, rubbing his forehead. “I understand the need to be safe Viren, but how can we expect the dragons to trust us if we don’t respect them? The Xadians will visit be visiting any day now and they won’t be too pleased to see this.”

“My king, if I may,” Viren said more tiredly. “The Xadians shouldn’t even be here. We are a sovereign nation of our own and we do not answer to them.”

“But we must cooperate with them, Viren,” King Harrow said firmly. He stood up. Viren did the same. “I expect an improvement around this place, and I expect that dragon you locked up to be released and treated properly.”

“Your majesty, please, he’s a Tempest Crescentback. They’re incredibly dangerous creatures--”

“Then, I expect you to handle him with care and only confine him if he becomes a real problem. See it done, Viren. I’m counting on you.”

Viren’s face softened even as it fell. He bowed. “Of course, sire.”

When they left, Callum looked back at Viren and his steely gaze trained on him as he closed the door.

-:-:-:-

“Do you think he’s right?”

Harrow frowned. “What do you mean?”

Callum cleared his throat. The dining hall was empty save for the guards stationed at the doors. Ezran had left some time ago to go somewhere and the servants were had been dismissed for the day.  “I mean… do you think he’s right? About the dragons needing a hard hand for to be traininged?”

His stepfather sat back, regarding Callum for a moment as he scratched his chin. “Well, Prince Callum, what say you?”

Callum’s lip twitched into a smile. “I asked you first.”

“And I’m countering with a question. What do you think?”

Callum thought about it. Not just about what he saw at the Keep, but what dragons made him feel. It wasn’t pleasant, but neither was seeing them being smacked about and dragged around. They were mighty beasts, but physical might didn’t make them any less alive. And his fear had its own reasons for being there.

“The dragons haven’t done nothing anything wrong. We They shouldn’t be treated them so roughly. It’s probably not all that smart and if the Xadians can have a good relationship with the dragons then we can, too, but we need to try.”

Harrow nodded and raised his glass to Callum. “Wise words.”

“What about you?”

“I think Viren is right in certain instances,” his stepfather said, taking a sip of his drink and putting it back. “But I also believe Viren is misguided. It’s… a problem he tends to run into. Viren is a dark mage and is always looking at non-human things as ingredients. If it’s not human, it’s not worth the same weight.”

“That… doesn’t sound right.” It made a some kind of weird rational sense to him, but every word felt wrong.

“No, it doesn’t, but it’s what we tend to teach. If it’s not human, it’s worth less and we should treat it as such, but that’s a lie we tell ourselves because we’re scared that the of a world is not only made just for us. It’s not true. Love doesn’t stop with humans and neither does loyalty.”

Callum nodded. He smiled. Even as he thought of how his mother would have approved of that. Maybe she even said that to him once upon a time. It sounded like worlds she would have left for him in a some notebook or said something she could have mentioned to him when they were alone discussing the mysteries of life. When his mother spoke, it was hard not to marvel at how someone could be so warm and wise.

“That sounds a lot better.”

“Does it? Well, color me proud,” his stepfather laughed, the rich depth of his voice reflecting the memory of that warmth. “That’s one for the history books. Perhaps, then, maybe I won’t go down in history as a failure.”

Callum shook his head. “You’re not a failure… you were protecting us. Everybody knows that.”

“There are those who cannot forgive my actions. After all, I did plunge our kingdoms into war.” The king sat with his chin resting on steepled fingers. “But I will always be grateful that there are those who still support me. But enough of that. Go, Callum. You should rest. It’s been a long day and doubtless it will be so tomorrow.”

Callum did as Harrow bidhe was told, knowing a kind dismissal when he heard one. 

The king stayed sat in that position even as he left the room, lost in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Chapter 2! I'm actually rather excited for you guys to get to chapter 3 because there are more interesting reactions, but for now have this chapter as we ease you into this world and give you some insight on Harrow especially here I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far! 
> 
> As always, guys I love it when you leave those reviews! They really keep me going and keep me writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	3. The Tempest

The human kingdoms were a strange place. There was very little magic. In fact, there was basically _no_ magic anywhere. 

Rayla found it rather bizarre,honestly. She said as much to Runaan. 

“Humans were not born with magic,” he told her, concealing a knife in his boot. He instructed her to do the same. This entire diplomatic mission was supposed to be peaceful, but it wasn’t as if the humans were completely trustworthy. Runaan’s chief fear was what might happen if things went wrong; if they suddenly found themselves surrounded by human guards with no way out. They had their dragons, but now, so did the humans. “We can’t expect their lands to have any, either. Otherwise, they would have figured out a way to harness it.” 

“They have dark magic,” Rayla said. 

“What they _call_ magic. Dark magic is not true magic.” 

Rayla nodded. She agreed wholeheartedly. 

“Are Luna and Athena secure?” he asked. 

“In the stables. They’re resting, I’m sure. It was a pretty long trip for them. Luna was getting a bit cranky after a few days.” 

Runaan raised his brows at her in question. “Is _Luna_ secure?” 

“... she was when I left her,” Rayla said, grinning nervously. “I swear.” 

“And we must keep it that way. Dragons are new for most of these humans and Luna will spook them if she simply shows up.” 

“She’ll probably just steal their kitchen utensils.” 

“And I imagine they value their kitchen utensils.” 

Rayla shrugged, though she shared a knowing smile. “Oh, I suppose. I’ll make sure she knows she can’t play with the whisks around here.” 

“Good. Now, come.” Runaan beckoned. “I want you to be there when I speak with the King. You should know how to navigate these situations. Diplomacy is a skill you might learn.” 

Rayla followed Runaan to a more private room than she was expecting. It was small, not even half the size of the throne room, more intimately decorated with paintings and items that she assumed the king held dear. A drawing of him and the boy she saw upon arriving at the castle hung on the wall. 

“Please, both of you,” King Harrow gestured. “Sit. I appreciate you being available despite how tired you must be.” 

Runaan nodded. “It’s what we came to do. We ought to start with a conversation.” 

Rayla sat quietly, as ordered, but also impressed. Humans were _not_ Runaan’s favorite people in the entire world. So, when he showed no qualms about leading the diplomatic party into the human kingdoms, Rayla was surprised... and not. On one hand, Runaan didn’t care for humans for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, he would perform his duty without complaint. Without fail. 

So, Rayla did as expected, she sat quietly and observed the situation. She even debated sitting or standing in the corner. But she took a seat and Runaan gave her no indication that he disapproved. 

“I agree. So, first, let me open with a question: What are your main concerns? I want to address those before we move on to other things. I realize the need for transparency if there is to be any trust between Xadia and Katolis.” 

Runaan nodded. “The treaty has expired, but Xadia is concerned about the humans using the dragons solely as war machines. Yes, in battle they are invaluable, but to raise and use dragons with that purpose and that purpose alone is to foster a culture where they are nothing more than tools. And, that, is a dangerous sentiment to breed. Especially considering the use of… other magics among humans.” 

“I absolutely agree,” King Harrow said. “And you have my word that I am doing everything in my power to make sure those in charge of the dragons’ training understand this. These are creatures who deserve respect if we are to gain their allegiance, should we even call it that. There must be respect and trust between dragon and rider.” 

Rayla almost raised her brows. She hadn’t expected that answer. 

“Then, we are in agreement,” Runaan said. “As long as that ideal shines through there shouldn’t be a problem. As for the Dragon Keep, who oversees it?” 

“I’ve put Lord Viren in charge of the Dragon Keep. He is my closest advisor and I would trust him with my life.” The king stood said. 

“The high mage.” 

A pause. The king nodded. 

Runaan said nothing. 

The king broke the long silence that followed. “Lord Viren is my responsibility and I will see to it that nothing, and I mean _nothing_ , atrocious happens to those dragons. Contrary to what you may believe, I do not always agree with him and his… methods.” 

“I will hold you accountable then.” 

King Harrow sat back but said nothing. He only nodded. 

Rayla sat in silence the entire time as the king and Runaan discussed the conditions of which Xadia would allow the humans use of their dragons for military power without risk of transgression. 

All the while, Rayla examined the king. This was the man who drove their kingdoms to war. The man who had a part, however big or small, in killing Thunder. They never even recovered his egg. Some part of her wanted to hate him. Wanted to blame him for the situations that plagued her life. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to hate him for all the sincerity in his eyes. Runaan could see the conflict written on her face once they finished an hour later. 

“You’re troubled,” he said. 

“He’s… not what I expected.” 

“I imagine he’s not. What do you make of him?” he asked. 

“... He regrets.” 

“As he should. Many people died in his war. Human or not, those decisions weigh on him.” 

“What do _you_ think of him?” 

“I can respect a man who realizes his mistakes, but it doesn’t make the mistakes go away. The people who died won’t come back. Regardless if he knows what he did was wrong, those who laid down their lives or suffered in the shadow of his decisions gain no reprieve.” 

“Sorry isn’t enough.” It was more of a statement than a clarification. 

“I will hold judgement. Your judgement is your own. I expect you on your best behavior, regardless.” 

Rayla rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. You don’t have to keep telling me, you know.” 

Runaan only made a noise that told her more than enough about his expectations. 

-:-:-:- 

In the morning Callum saw his brother for all of ten minutes before Ezran found somewhere else to be. He was starting to wonder if he upset his little brother somehow, but that usually wasn’t the case when Ezran left to go exploring. Callum wondered, but he supposed it was something else. 

Either way, it left him somewhat alone for the day. Claudia and Soren both had other obligations and different things to do under the orders of their father. Soren and Varius were busy with the new dragon riders and Claudia was doing research for her father on some aspect of dragon behavior. 

Even his stepfather was entertaining and making sure the Xadians were comfortable. They were planning to visit the Dragon Keep soon. 

Every day was about dragons, really. Every day Callum woke up, the dragons were a part of their lives in some capacity. He hadn’t expected it. Not like this. 

He still tensed up when he woke in the morning. It took him ten minutes or so just to get himself prepared for the day, even if nothing was inherently wrong. His stepfather always told him he didn’t have to be involved and, initially, Callum had completely prepared himself to do just that. No dragons, no way. 

Then, the Dragon Keep went up. Then, dragons started being brought in. Soren got Varius. Claudia began looking more into it. His stepfather talked about it more. They assigned Lord Viren to the project. 

Suddenly, everywhere he turned… dragons, dragons, dragons. 

It used to be thirty minutes in the morning. Thirty minutes before he could get up and face his new reality. 

It made him sick, having to look at it all. 

All of it just reminded him of his mother. 

_Her breath rattled in her chest._

_It stopped._

Callum’s chest tightened. The thoughts threatened to overwhelm him when he thought about it too much. When he thought about it all, sometimes. 

With Ezran busy for the day, apparently off on his own shenanigans, Callum took his sketchbook and, against his better judgement, found his way to the Dragon Keep. 

At first, that was how it started and why he ended up going there at all. As long as he stayed on the wall and far from the actual creatures, he could sketch them to his heart’s content. He would sketch one dragon, then go home. It gradually became two or more. Now, he didn’t really have a limit. Just whenever he felt finished for the day. 

He still stayed high on the wall though. He never ventured close to them. Not once. Not on his life. 

When he got to the keep, however, Soren and his dragon riding recruits were using the wall he normally occupied. Whatever they were doing, he didn’t want to disturb them. Step-prince or not, occasionally, it distracted people that he was a prince and was the adopted son of the king. Those who weren’t around him as often sometimes felt like they had to pay him mind. It made Callum uncomfortable. 

So, he looked around. 

Sketching would have to wait, he supposed. 

It probably wasn’t the wisest of ideas, but he started poking around. Frankly, he felt like Ezran, just wanting to know what was around the corners, going to places he most likely wasn’t supposed to. 

He walked near Lord Viren’s office at the keep, past it and down the hall he’d never bothered going down. The halls were simple but decorated, red rugs, tapestries and weapons hung in traditional Katolis fashion. The hall widened and simplified at the very end. To the right, Callum knew was the arena. To the left, a darker tunnel, but otherwise open. Airy. Breezy, even? Drafty, perhaps was the right word. 

Callum knew better, but he took the left anyway. He wanted to know where the breeze came from. Was it another way out? An escape route should this place go up in flames? 

What he found was a simple room. The breeze came from the open windows, letting in light and the smell of fresh air; it gave the room a less scary quality than Callum expected. It would have been a perfect place to spend a private moment, were it not for the cage in the center of the room. 

And the dragon in the cage. 

Blue slitted eyes trained on him. Callum froze. 

The Tempest looked at him, eyes focused on his every move. Callum didn’t budge. He and the Tempest stared each other down. Rather, the Tempest stared him down. 

Callum just stared. 

He stared and prayed. 

Could it shoot fire at him from this distance? 

_Did_ it shoot fire? 

Was it poisonous? 

He recalled Soren’s words about Chaos class dragons and realized he’d already made a mistake by praying and not running first. It was too late now though. He was as good as dragon lunch if he moved even one muscle and \-- 

The Tempest’s eyes flickered. It looked him over, then snorted. It went back to laying down. 

Callum was almost disappointed. Relieved, but _almost_ disappointed. He wasn’t even worth a dragon’s time. 

“Thanks, I guess,” Callum said. “Didn’t mean to bother you. I’ll just be--” 

There was a muffled string of familiar voices coming from down the hall. The trainers. 

And Lord Viren. 

Callum closed the door to the room and ducked away from the entrance. If Lord Viren found him down here, he’d be furious and that was not something he wanted to face so close to his office. It was just… an unsettling office. Especially if Lord Viren thought he might have stolen something. No, thank you. 

The Tempest went back to staring at him. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave in a minute, okay? I just need to wait until he’s gone,” Callum hissed. 

What was he doing? Why was he apologizing to the dragon? The Tempest probably didn’t care one way or another what Callum did so long as he didn’t come and bother him. He didn’t have to worry about that. Callum couldn’t have been tighter against the wall if he _tried_. 

He wasn’t sure which one was worse: Lord Viren or the dragons. 

Apparently, Callum had decided Lord Viren right at this moment. 

The Tempest groaned and turned over. Fair enough. It didn’t seem to care what Callum did. It had its own problems. 

This is what he got for being nosy, he supposed. He’d kept coming to the keep just to draw the dragons for the sake of art and curiosity, knowing what it would make him feel. He went to sleep at night, nowadays, feeling a little more anxious knowing that tomorrow he’d go back. But it was a point of pride for him. This was going to be his life, right? Surrounded by dragons. He ought to face his fears and deal with it. 

At least, that’s what he told himself when his heart was beating in his chest so hard it hurt. 

He wasn’t good at anything that didn’t have to do with lines on paper. 

At the very least, he could face this… issue haunting him. 

Every time he saw a dragon, he saw his mother’s dying face. 

Callum looked back at the Tempest. A groan escaped the dragon’s mouth and his belly rose and fell. He frowned at the dragon’s breathing. The Tempest seemed… exhausted? 

Lord Viren was just outside the door. Callum could hear him, probably making his way to his office. 

“... no food, no water. Understood? Make an example out of them if need be. These beasts need to know who’s in charge around here. If they go out of control, we may all end up burned alive.” 

The trainer shuddered, then agreed to obey. 

In the cell, the Tempest rolled over just barely, lethargic and breathing somewhat labored. Restless, even. He opened and closed his mouth, his tongue lolling out slightly. He wasn’t hurt -- not that Callum would see any bruises with a hide as thick as a dragons, but… 

“You’re starving,” Callum said softly. 

The Tempest trained a blue eye on him. There was some animosity that kept Callum from getting any closer to him. Humans were not his favorite people in the world. And he had a feeling an elf would not be in his good graces either. 

Outside, the door to Lord Viren’s office slammed shut. 

Callum didn’t leave right away, but the Tempest looked away from him, curling into a ball as if to protect himself from anymore visitors. 

It took a moment for Callum to leave, observing the Tempest before his hands and feet finally found the door, then a whisper. 

“I’m sorry.” 

-:-:-:- 

“Prince Callum.” 

Callum froze, tensing from Lord Viren’s stern and not so pleased tone of voice. He turned on his heel. 

  
“Lord Viren, I was just, uh, exploring.” 

“Were you now?” Lord Viren closed the door to his office. “Exploring the very cell down the hall from my office? How coincidental.” 

“Yep, it is pretty strange how we met down here, but I really should be going now--” 

“Do you take me for a fool?” 

His tone cut like ice. 

Callum tried to act like nothing was wrong. “No, sir, I--” 

“Then, why don’t you and I remain honest with each other, hm? I know you were down here spying on whatever you think I have hidden away, but I assure you there’s nothing. So, I suggest you run along and not do it again.” 

Callum frowned. “If there’s nothing down here then why do you have a dragon in the cell you know I was just in?” 

“That dragon is in confinement for poor behavior. There _is_ nothing down there. Nothing that concerns you, at least.” 

“You’re _starving_ him.” 

“I’m teaching him to listen to his masters. He will be fed and kept alive, but at _my_ discretion.” Viren tapped his staff on the ground. “These are wild beasts, boy. Not humans. And you’re a fool if you truly believe that we shouldn’t protect ourselves from their wrath. If the dragon doesn’t make it that is its own fault for not cooperating.” 

“Right now, the king’s wrath is the only one you should worry about.” Callum turned to leave. “When he finds out about this, he’s going to be furious.” 

Lord Viren said nothing. 

Nothing dismayed him more than the king’s disapproval. 

But in a chilling tone Lord Viren said, “He will be… worried.” Callum stopped. “Yes, very worried. This Xadian diplomacy mission is very important to him. Why, if he thought it might fail on account of me, I’m not sure he would even sleep at night. But, I suppose you’re right. The stress of his anger is something I fear. For all our sakes.” 

Callum turned to glare at Viren, but the man was already walking away, his cane tapping the ground the only sound between them. 

-:-:-:- 

No, Lord Viren was… 

He was right. 

Yes, he was right. 

But so was his decision. 

Callum couldn’t just let that Tempest _starve_ to death. No, that was wrong in every way and he couldn’t just _let_ it happen. 

On the other hand, Lord Viren wasn’t entirely wrong either. His least favorite person right now, but not entirely wrong. Callum thought about it all the way back to the castle and it wasn’t until he ran into Ezran once he got back to their joined rooms. 

“Where have _you_ been?” Callum raised a brow at Ezran. 

Ezran looked up from where he was playing with Bait. “Callum! Oh, uh… nowhere?” 

Callum frowned. “Were you sneaking into the baker’s again?” 

Ezran grinned. “Oh, uh, yeah! You caught me.” 

Callum snorted and shook his head. “Well, you’ll never guess what happened to me today.” 

Callum told him all of it. About the Tempest he found, wanting to tell the king and his conversation with Lord Viren. 

“So, are you going to tell dad?” 

“Well, yeah. It’s the right thing to do…” Callum said. “... right?” 

Ezran smiled a little. “Of course. We should go tell him right now.” 

The king sat in his room, the desk piled high with papers that probably had to do with the arrival of the Xadian diplomats. After all, their safety fell on his shoulders. A heavy responsibility considering everything. 

“I’m sorry, boys. I know I was pretty busy all day.” 

Callum shook his head. “No, it’s okay. We know you’re busy.” 

“Yeah,” Ezran said. “Dad, you don’t have to apologize.” 

Harrow sighed and stood from his chair. He paced the room with his hands behind his back. “This diplomatic mission with the Xadians and the Dragon Keep… it all _needs_ to go well. “ 

“Your Majesty,” Callum started. Harrow looked back at him with a sad smile. Callum cleared his throat. “You know… everybody can see you trying to make up for everything.” 

Harrow chuckled a little, a crestfallen tone somewhere in it. “It is very hard to make up for a war you helped start. Believe me, Callum. As it is, I don’t care about my reputation. No. After the things I saw and realizing my part in those horrors? This is my duty. For the sake of peace between our two kingdoms, it is my duty to ensure that this goes well. That Xadia and Katolis -- all the human kingdoms -- can have a chance at real peace and cooperation between all our peoples. Do you boys understand?” 

Callum and Ezran looked at each other, then nodded at their father. 

“We understand,” Callum said. 

Harrow approached them and got down on one knee, coming to eye level with Ezran specifically. “Ezran, one day you will also need to make decisions like this. As king, there will be… a heavy burden on your shoulders. One that I will always be sorry fell on your shoulders. But it’s important that you take this duty seriously. People will look to you for guidance. But to learn how to lead you must learn how to follow and learning to follow means listening. And, right now, as a prince, this is the best time to do just that. I was young when I became king. And perhaps I didn’t listen as a prince as well as I should have. Do you understand why I’m telling you all this?” 

Ezran nodded. He even smiled and put Bait down for just a moment. “If I can be half as good a king as you are, then I’ll do great, Dad.” 

Ezran hugged him and, a moment later, Callum joined. He felt King Harrow put his arms around them. “Thank you, boys.” When they pulled back, he put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Now, it’s getting late. You boys should go and rest. Tomorrow I’m sure will be another long day.” 

“Actually, Dad, we--” 

“Really should be getting that sleep,” Callum said quickly. He grinned and nodded. “Yup. It’s time to sleep. Just like you said.” 

Harrow laughed a little as he rose to his feet. “Very well. You two run along, then. There are other ways for you to get some sleep than to help me with my paperwork.” 

They left the king to his dreaded paperwork and Ezran frowned at Callum. “Why didn’t you tell him about the dragon, Callum?” 

Bait croaked. Callum sighed. “You saw him, Ez. He’s got enough to deal with right now with the Xadians here. I’ll just have to figure something out on my own.” 

“Well, what are we going to do?” 

Callum shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out. No matter what happens, I’ll make sure that dragon has a fighting chance.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Callum's birthday, so, I thought it'd be appropriate to update this today. Happy Birthday Callum! I know this is slow going, but I promise it'll pick up. I want to give Rayla and Callum room to be themselves before they really start getting involved with one another. A slowburn, if you will. Just trust me another chapter and things will pick up!
> 
> As always, guys, I love it when you leave those reviews! They really keep me motivated and keep me writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	4. Freedom's Wings

It felt really weird carrying fish in a sack; it felt even weirder _stealing_ fish from the kitchens, but Callum tried not to think about the strangeness of it. They wouldn’t miss a couple pieces of fish, but the Tempest could sure use them. 

Callum tried not to let this whole endeavor freak him out. It’d all be fine. If the dragon took it without trying to kill him that is. 

He thought about taking Ezran, but never really got the chance to ask. Ezran took off earlier that morning to… somewhere. Where to, Callum didn’t know. His little brother often snuck around the castle on some venture, and it often involved a quest for food. So, it didn’t exactly surprise him, but it _was_ a little strange that Ezran left so early. 

He put Ezran’s strange behavior behind him and set his mind on the task as he entered the keep. This time, he needed to be more discreet than his last visit, especially if he didn’t want Viren to catch him. Callum knew Lord Viren usually wasn’t there in the early mornings and late evenings. As high mage, he had other responsibilities to tend to, and there was a degree of delegation that needed attending if anything was to _get_ done. 

Callum made it to the Dragon Keep at first light, long before Lord Viren would get away from his high mage duties. Not that he knew what those were, but if it kept him out of his office area for a while, nothing else mattered. 

The draft in the prison felt cooler this early in the morning; yellow light against a blue sky a calming backdrop through the rectangular windows in the stone wall. Callum needed as many calming elements as possible when he laid eyes on the Tempest. The Tempest seemed to have heard him coming, considering he already had an eye trained on the boy. Clutching the strap of his bag, Callum took a deep breath. 

_I can do this_ , he told himself. _I can do this_. 

His body started shaking; red flashed in his peripherals, and with the sound of his mother’s wheezing voice sounding in the back of his mind he stepped forward. This was insane. This was absolutely insane. This dragon might bite him and then where would he be? 

He took another step forward. Every step was painful, and excruciatingly slow, but something inside of him couldn’t back out or back away. If this dragon died when he could have done something… Callum wasn’t entirely sure he could forgive himself. 

Maybe his stepfather was busy and maybe Lord Viren was beyond reasoning with when it came to dragons, but that didn’t mean starving them was okay. They were still living creatures, after all. 

The Tempest’s nostrils flared and the black slit against his blue eye contracted. 

A terrifying, living creature. 

“It’s okay,” he tried to keep the shaking from his voice. “Look, I’ve brought you something.” 

He pulled a fish out of the sack and the Tempest came to attention. Slow, careful, ready to strike attention. Callum could barely move anymore. 

He would do this. 

He _could_ do this. 

Callum closed his eyes and took another step to the cage. Then another and another until he was trembling, with his hands under the maw of this great beast that could take his hands off any minute-- 

The Tempest slurped the fish from his hands in a snap and Callum jolted. He opened his eyes. 

The dragon was looking at him, waiting, like he knew Callum had another for him. Callum felt more than a bit faint. Quickly, he presented another fish and did the same routine. When he was out of fish, dragon and boy watched each other through the bars of the cage. 

The Tempest’s eyes were bluer than anything Callum had ever seen. Electric, brilliant blue and sleek silver scales. 

Like grey clouds, Callum realized. 

The horns, a longer and a shorter set, made him look more regal. A lord of the sky itself. 

Callum could see him flexing his crescent-shaped spines. Anticipation? Curiosity? His eyes were dilated, and it didn’t _feel_ hostile. 

The Tempest licked his lips. 

“I don’t have anymore,” Callum explained. He had to get a hold of himself. He was still trembling. “But tomorrow. I’ll be back with more tomorrow.” 

The Tempest seemed to understand the promise and breathed softly onto Callum. He went back to curl up in his cage. 

Callum left, his knees so weak he was surprised he didn’t resemble a noodle upon leaving the keep. 

-:-:-:- 

When King Harrow asked Callum if he wished to accompany him on a walk through the castle, Callum sure wasn’t turning him down. It was just a walk of the grounds, see how the castle staff were doing, but Callum could see that perhaps it was also a much needed break for his stepfather. 

They crossed into the courtyard and it was… different to see so many elves lingering about. They were respectful enough to keep their dragons in more designated areas, like the stables, and he noted how every elf did not have their dragon out. Some of them did, however, including Runaan with his dragon, Athena. 

Callum heard laughter above his head. 

It was the elf girl from yesterday, Rayla, flying around on her dragon, Luna. He could hear Luna making noises and Rayla laughing as they dipped and soared in the sky. At some point, they shot straight up into the sky before coming back down. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Runaan in a somewhat disapproving manner, but he just shook his head and let her go. 

Luna circled above them and Callum could hear Rayla praising her. 

It made Callum smile a little. They were sure having fun. 

“Wondrous, isn’t it?” Harrow was watching them, too. 

“Yeah,” Callum said. “They really love each other, don’t they?” 

“It would appear so. To think, humans have been missing out on so much love in our lives.” 

“You think so?” Callum glanced at his stepfather. 

Harrow raised his brows. “Elves have a special relationship with their dragons. The ones they keep as companions, anyway. They bond with them. Love them in ways different than just having a pet. You could almost argue it’s the way Ezran loves Bait. You feel what they feel and they’re a joy in your life that’s not easy to describe.” 

“How do you know all that?” 

Harrow shrugged. “Call it a hunch. I’ve never quite had the experience myself, but I’ve seen it.” 

Callum could sense a caveat at the end of that sentence. Gingerly, he pressed. “... and?” 

“And I’ve ended some.” Harrow said gravely. “The war separated many riders from their dragons.” 

“... that wasn't your fault. Not all of it.” Callum said quietly as they passed the courtyard. 

Harrow put an arm around Callum. “Most of it started with my decisions. I can’t change the past, but that’s why this peace is so important, Callum. If we foster it, we can’t change the past, but the future will be better, brighter than ever. For us, the elves and the dragons. For all of us. I want you to see that. Remember it.” 

Callum glanced behind him. He could still see Rayla flying high on Luna. 

“So,” Callum tried to change the subject. “When are the elves visiting the keep?” 

“Soon. There’s going to be a preliminary visit tomorrow. Nothing too thorough, but they’ll get a quick look at the place.” 

“Preliminary?” 

“Politics, Prince Callum. These are the kind of things I deal with. Promise me you’ll never get into politics.” 

Callum laughed. “I’ll try.” 

King Harrow patted Callum’s shoulder. “Good.” 

-:-:-:- 

The next day, Callum arrived at the keep before the Xadian’s visit. Preliminary visit, he reminded himself. Just to be smart, he told his stepfather he’d be down there already, early, to do some sketching. King Harrow had raised his brows at the idea, but commended his dedication. 

Today, he managed to swipe three pieces of fish. That would probably be his limit from now on. The kitchen staff would eventually notice considerable amounts of fish going missing if he took any more. 

Today, Callum still shook, but he’d come to expect it and that somehow made the walk a bit easier. The Tempest sat up slowly when he heard Callum. They were just as apprehensive of each other, just as watchful. 

Step by step, Callum approached, each shakier than the last. He let the dragon eat from his hand and, again they watched each other through the bars. Today, he noticed the Tempest’s tail slowly moving on the ground behind him. 

Later, Runaan and Rayla got a very broad tour of the Dragon Keep. They kept stony faces -- King Harrow called it a Moonshadow elf thing -- but Callum glimpsed Rayla again. Her tattoos had his attention. He wondered what they meant. Whatever they symbolized, he couldn't help but notice they kind of matched her eyes. The artist in him, perhaps. 

He might have imagined it, but he swore she was watching him, too. 

The next day, Callum brought three more fish and noticed the way the Tempest’s wings flexed ever so slightly. Before he left, Callum took a deep breath. 

He relaxed his limbs. 

He looked the Tempest straight in the eye. 

“If I’m honest, dragons aren’t my favorite thing in the world, but I promise I won’t forget you. Not down here. Not anywhere.” Callum swallowed. “Just… promise you won’t eat me?” 

The Tempest snorted. Callum wasn’t sure if he understood, and thought the notion was ridiculous, or if it was just that… snorting. 

_Elves have a special relationship with their dragons. The ones they keep as companions, anyway._

Callum didn’t fail to notice how he was still shaking even after all these days. How the thoughts from before still kept circulating, but-- 

But he stuck out his hand, anyway. Slowly, carefully. Palms face up like when he fed him, but this time Callum had no food to give. Nothing to give except a truce. 

_They bond with them. Love them in ways different than just having a pet._

More, if the Tempest wanted it. If not, Callum was about to lose his hands. Whatever mad idea this was, whatever rush of nonsense he’d been swimming in these past few days, maybe this was the ultimate result. Callum losing his hands to a dragon. His sketchbook would lay incomplete. He’d never pick up a pencil. Never draw again. 

Panic blossomed in his chest. 

It still felt like he was supposed to do this. 

Why? Perhaps he’d realize it and regret it later. 

Still, he held his hands out. A peace. An offer. The peace his stepfather believed in so much. 

_I want to believe it, too,_ Callum prayed. 

And maybe that was why. 

The moment felt like forever and a blitz all at once. He’d known this creature for what? A week? Less? Fed him a handful of times, but maybe… 

Callum knew what it was like to feel trapped. All this dragon business made him feel like he was in a cage. Behind bars he couldn’t see, but couldn’t seem to escape either; then Callum saw those blue eyes; he saw them behind bars. 

He saw them starving. 

He saw them begging for freedom. 

And Callum knew. They both wanted the same thing. 

_I want to be free_ , Callum still held his hands out, but now he also held the Tempest’s gaze. _And I know you want to be, too_. 

They stood there for an eternity. 

Then, the Tempest moved. Callum forced himself not to outright flinch, but the dragon brought his muzzle against Callum’s hand. He breathed softly into his palms and ran the dry scales of his face against the soft pads of Callum’s fingers. A truce. No. 

More. 

Callum’s lips twitched into a smile, then, a grin. He took his gloves off to feel the texture of the Tempest’s silver scales on his palm; he carefully ran his hands over the dragon’s horns, and the extra plates growing under and behind his jaw. Maybe his ears were under here? Did dragons have ears? 

The Tempest sniffed at Callum, inspecting his clothes, his torso, his face. He licked Callum’s face, as if tasting it told him something humans and elves wouldn’t understand. The Tempest made a noise at him, a kind of satisfied warble. He put his head against the bars and made a friendly sound when Callum ran his fingers around the base of his horns. 

“You want to get to know me a bit more, too, huh? Curious?” Callum laughed a little at the Tempest’s flexing crescent spines as Callum scratched the base of his horns. 

The Tempest made another noise. An affirmation, perhaps. It sounded like it. 

“We’re made of the same stuff, I think. You and I.” Callum smiled. The Tempest’s pupils dilated. “If we both want the same thing, then I guess we ought to go at it together. Right?” 

The Tempest flexed his wings. 

“Alright, then. Together. We escape together.” 

-:-:-:- 

“Listen, Ez, you had to have been there. It was-- it was like _nothing_ I’ve ever experienced before. They’re not like us, but they _are_ , you know? I can feel it. I _felt_ it _._ ” 

Callum was pacing the room; he’d come back to the castle and had been drawing the Tempest in his room -- free and uncaged -- until Ezran finally showed up. Callum didn’t even ask where he’d been this entire time. He just sat him down and told Ezran everything that happened. 

He didn’t want to leave the dragon, but he described his time to Ezran. Ezran raised his brows, smiling. “Wow, Callum. You really feel all that?” 

“I do. I really do. I just… there’s a connection you know? Or, at least, I could have one. Maybe something’s there.” 

Ezran beamed. He looked down at Bait and hugged him. “There is. Most animals are willing to connect with us if we just see it.” 

Callum laughed. “Well, I see it. They’re… incredibly intelligent and empathetic. I could be crazy, but I think he could really see me, you know what I mean?” 

Ezran curled into bed, Bait at his side. “You have no idea.” 

-:-:-:- 

Viren settled himself against his desk in Katolis castle. He held his children’s attention. 

“So, this dragon training program _is_ good, right?” Soren asked. 

“Of course it is,” Viren said. “The method in which we are going about it is… questionable.” 

“The elves, you mean,” Claudia said. 

The room was candle lit; he didn’t want full light in here today. He had a massive headache. Hours of roaring and growling dragons took its toll. The beasts were insufferable when they were all together, but trained… trained they could be a force to be reckoned with. _Their_ force to be reckoned with. His human riders and his dragons. 

The irony could not be lost. 

“Our Xadian visitors are an investment the king considers necessary. We must humor them. In the meantime, we do as our king bids to the best of our ability. At the end of the day, these _elves_ hold no real power in Katolis. When they leave, their wishes amount to nothing.” 

Soren frowned. “But if the king wants to go along with what they have to say--” 

“Then we will follow along to the _best_ of our ability,” Viren snapped. His son’s… brilliance with the obvious was something to behold. Truly. “The king will delegate, and we will do what we feel is necessary for Katolis.” 

Claudia frowned. “Dad, what are we going to do about the dragons though? We have to keep them happy or else the king won’t be happy.” 

Claudia spoke the truth. Harrow had come to love the beasts in recent years. A complete turnaround from the first years after Sarai died, but Viren supported him, nonetheless. Still, it was high time he began churning some… creative solutions in his head. 

“The king is doing what he feels is best for Katolis,” he told them both. “And, so will we.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like this chapter to be honest. Also, nice timing being on Rayla's birthday! Writing it, it felt like things were starting to come together. Callum and Rayla are getting just a step closer to each other, curious, and Callum's bond with the Tempest can only go up from there. So, I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> As always, guys I love it when you leave those reviews. They really keep me going and really keep me writing! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	5. Under the Moon

Something lit up in Callum’s life. Relit, even. There was more to look forward to every day. Each day was a highlight and the anxiety gripping his throat loosened. When he visited the Tempest, it almost wasn’t there at all. 

Truth be told, it’d been a long, long time since he felt so calm. 

In the two weeks since Callum and the Tempest had their first breakthrough, Callum visited twice a day, careful to find other sources of food for the Tempest to eat so the kitchen staff didn’t become too suspicious. He liked all kinds of fish, but _hated_ eel. Seafood seemed to please him otherwise. Callum brought crab once and the dragon happily devoured it, although he noted it was more of a snack than a meal. The Tempest also seemed to like most meats. Beef, chicken and pork, though he had a special love of goat. 

_The Tempest Crescentback is a dragon who lives in high altitudes and makes the mountainous regions of Katolis and Xadia it’s home. It dwells near the Breach, but is careful never to get too close to the actual border._

Maybe that's why he seemed to like goat meat. At least, Callum found a book mentioning something of the like. He’d perused the library for information about dragons and found a dusty half-tome of a book, with a page for every dragon. Kindly titled: _The Dragons of Xadia_. 

It talked about the Greater Dragons who could speak, and ultimately considered more intelligent, their intelligence on par or arguably more advanced than humans and elves. The Lesser Dragons were more like the Tempest and the dragons the elves rode. Where the dragons allied with the elves, it was the Lesser Dragons who became the elves companions, and the notion of dragon riding was born from this bond. 

“Lesser Dragons,” Callum mused. “What a name.” 

He wondered where the name came from; the Greater Dragons or their human and elf counterparts. 

As for other types of foods, the Tempest wasn’t a big fan of sweets, but he would accept pears, apparently. 

Most nights, Callum read bits and pieces of the book, hiding it under his pillow in the farthest corner of the bed. 

_The Tempest is a hunter, but his nature lends itself to the pursuit. He is relentless and will not stop till satisfied with his target._

Satisfied? What does that even mean? 

Whatever it meant, Callum was glad his Tempest wasn’t interested in killing him. 

But getting to the Dragon Keep early in the morning and late at night meant sleeping less than normal. Callum sometimes went back to the castle just to take a nap; before he usually tried to find Ezran or took time to draw. But Ezran hadn’t been around much lately. He was gone just as much as Callum was tired. 

Even so, the last two weeks had been nice. His days were a little better. At least, they were on the right track. 

In the morning, Callum did what he usually did. He got up, beating the early morning light to the keep and made it back to the castle before he and Viren stepped into the same building. On his way back, he saw Soren flying high on Varius, presumably to the keep. Even better. Nothing would be worse than Soren catching him. Doubtless, Soren would use it to blackmail Callum. 

The elves made numerous preliminary visits. Nothing too deep, just quiet observations. They kept them short, sweet and to the point. Visits meant to prepare for the real big tour. Callum couldn’t quite understand it all, but he tried not to interfere too much. It just seemed easier to get the big visit over with, but apparently that wasn’t how politics worked. And he had a feeling Lord Viren wasn’t so thrilled with the whole idea, anyway. 

As if on cue, a shadow passed overhead. He knew who it was before he even looked up. Rayla, the elf girl he kept seeing was soaring around the courtyard on Luna. Out of all the dragon riders, Rayla was the one he always saw flying. The other elves tried not to, perhaps out of restraint, but only Rayla kept flying. It was like no one could separate Rayla from her dragon and the sky. 

Callum watched as she rode Luna, cutting the air like butter. Smooth as silk. Luna followed her every move. 

Or maybe they were just so in sync, following one another as they flew. Even if she wasn’t laughing this time, it was easy to see she was happy in the sky with Luna. 

Like she was born to do it. 

“Hey, Callum.” 

Callum’s heart skipped a beat. Claudia nearly bumped into him when he finally paid attention to where he was going. He’d been so busy watching Rayla fly he forgot he was still walking. Throwing her purple tipped black hair over her shoulder, Claudia smiled. “Oh, hey! Sorry, I’m uh-- Sorry. Did I hit you?” 

Claudia laughed. It was the most wonderful noise he ever heard. “No, unless you bumped into me and I just didn’t feel it. But I think we avoided that.” His face was warm as she inspected him. “Hey, so, I was looking for you this morning.” 

“You were?” Now, his heart was skipping for a different reason. 

“Yeah, I wanted to ask you if you might be willing to draw something for me? We’re bringing in a Sun Scorpion and a Bluecutter dragon today, and I was hoping you’d be willing to sketch them for me? I’d like to have them for my studies. Dad wants me to keep studying them. Says we’re better off prepared than not.” 

“You want me to draw for you?” It was less of a question for her and more for himself. He hoped she didn’t detect his disbelief. 

She nodded, her lips curling into a smile. They were such a pretty color against her perfect skin. 

When he finally got a hold of himself, Callum grinned. “Yeah! O-of course! I can draw you-- I mean, draw anything for you. I’m just going to need to head back and take care of it this evening. If the dragons are going to be there already. Of course.” 

Claudia grinned. “Really? That’s great! You’re the best. And don’t worry, the dragons should be there in a bit and they’ll be out in the arena for a while. I’d really appreciate it if you could do this for me, but don’t worry if you can’t. I’ll just have my dad get someone else to do it if you’re busy.” 

“No! I mean, no, it’s totally fine. You can count on me.” 

She squealed in her excitement. “Ooh, Callum, thank you. I knew I could count on you. You’re just so much faster and better at this than anyone else.” 

She threw herself at him in a hug and Callum was pretty sure he died for the briefest of moments. He didn’t have the chance to hug her back before she pulled away to leave. 

“If you could get it to me later tonight, that’d be really great. And maybe I’ll show you some magic stuff, too, as a trade?” 

Callum waved at her. “Really?” 

“Yep! It’s a date, alright?” 

His heart stopped entirely, his hand stuck waving in the air. He was probably smiling like an idiot, but he didn’t care. “It’s a _date_ … I have a date.” He couldn’t quite stop saying. “I have a _date_.” 

-:-:-:- 

By some stroke of luck, Lord Viren had to head back to the castle for the rest of the day. He wasn’t sure why, not with the Xadian’s big visit tomorrow, but Callum wouldn’t question it. It meant he could take more food to the Tempest. It wasn’t much, but Callum managed to swipe some pears and a small slab of beef from the kitchens before heading out. A strange combination, but he would get what he could. 

Callum went to see the Tempest first. The draft didn’t annoy him anymore and he even welcomed it as he came in. The Tempest’s head perked up, and he warbled a confused greeting. 

“Surprise,” Callum closed the door behind him quietly. “Your warden’s out for the rest of the day so I got to come by again. It won’t be like this every day, but I got you a snack.” 

Callum presented him with the pears and the small steak. The Tempest snorted at it and gave Callum a look. 

“What? Hey, I’m doing my best here. Mind you, I took these from the kitchens and they’re pretty alert because Ezran likes to come in and steal jelly tarts. I basically have to be a spy to get these.” 

The Tempest looked back at it and groaned. Callum wasn’t sure what that meant. It sounded friendly? He was still trying to figure out his noises. 

“You’re welcome. See, I think about you.” 

The dragon rolled his shoulders as if to say, “ _I know you do_.” 

He ate the pears and the steak, smacking his lips in satisfaction. 

“I’ll try to get you some goat next time.” Callum scratched his scales. It was uncanny, really, how the Tempest understood him. Callum always heard how dragons could understand humans, but… he never imagined this well. Or how quickly they would catch on. It was like once exposed to human speech and language they were practically better at picking it up than other humans. 

The Tempest just stared at him, assessing. Callum frowned. “What?” 

The Tempest blinked at him -- 

Then snorted hard enough to ruffle his hair. Callum didn’t have to be a dragon whisperer to know when a reptile was judging him. The Tempest licked him for good measure. “There’s nothing wrong with my hair.” 

Just to be fair, he supposed being a human with soft, smooth skin, especially compared to a furry creature or a scaly beast must have made humans look ridiculous to dragons. Satisfied, the Tempest stopped and inspected Callum. He sat straight, his chest out like the proud dragon he was, holding Callum’s gaze all the while. 

“And there’s nothing wrong with my posture.” 

A disagreeable warble. 

“Well, you’re a mighty dragon and I’m just a guy who’s good at drawing. Not much else, so, give me a break, why don’t you?” The Tempest agreed with the mighty part. Callum grinned. “But I did manage to do one thing today.” 

The Tempest cocked his head. 

Callum grabbed one of the bars. “I got a date with Claudia! I think it’s a _date_ date, too--” 

The Tempest let out a small snarl and laid down. 

“Oh, c’mon! She’s not that bad. I mean, sure, she uses dark magic and likes to use magical creature parts…” Callum could see the dragon giving him the most unimpressed look a reptile could possibly give. “Okay, I know it sounds bad, but… but I would _never_ let anyone hurt you. Not even her. You know that, right?” 

A softness set into the Tempest’s eyes. He groaned and pressed himself up against the bars. Callum reached through and scratched him some more. On his head. Under his chin. He couldn’t quite reach his belly, but he did reach his spines. The Tempest flexed them in approval. 

“I’ll still be here tonight. Don’t you worry. Not even Claudia could make me forget about you.” 

Callum could swear he heard the Tempest purr under his scratches. 

-:-:-:- 

Despite the dragon’s disapproval of Claudia, Callum still couldn’t help but be excited. A date. 

Was it a real date? He hoped it was a real date. 

She said it was, after all. 

But then again, if it wasn’t, who was he to impose? 

He figured it was a real date though and nothing could really bring him down from his high. Callum combed his hair more than usual. Again, Ezran wasn’t necessarily there to ask, but at least there was nothing else to worry about. He’d visited the Tempest for the last time of the day, giving him some leftovers Callum snagged from the kitchen. 

Callum combed his hair down as he emerged from the stairs leading to the ramparts; the agreed upon meeting place. Claudia was already waiting for him, her dark hair stark against the moonlight. He almost forgot to stop walking when he approached her. Her green eyes were so different from his. Deeper. More meaningful. He could stare at them all day. 

“Hey, Callum.” He nearly bumped into her. She laughed. “Sorry, I know it’s late.” 

“No! No, uh, late is good-- I mean, fine! Late is fine.” Callum nearly smacked himself. “I don’t mind staying up with you.” 

Her smile was warm. He could have stared at her smiling face all day. Eventually she cleared her throat. “So, how’d those pictures come out?” 

“Oh! Yeah. Pictures,” Callum pulled out the sketches. “One Sun Scorpion and one Bluecutter dragon.” 

Claudia’s face lit up as she looked them over. “Callum, these are _so_ good. I knew you were the right person to ask. It wasn’t too scary, was it?” 

“No, not at all.” He caught himself. “Not at all because I was on the ramparts. Pretty far away from them.” 

He recalled the Sun Scorpion's curling tail and how fascinating it’d been to draw, and the Bluecutter’s odd shape, built for air and sea. 

“Well, I’m glad,” she said. “I really appreciate you doing this for me. I think I promised to show you some magic stuff. Do you wanna see?” 

“Right here?” 

“Yes, right here,” she chuckled. She pulled out a small jar from her bag. “Watch this.” 

She uncorked it and a bug crawled onto her hand. 

She squashed it. Callum raised his brows, the incantation on her lips sounding unworldly. Her fingertips lit up in a purple glow, the light falling from them bright enough to light the spot they stood in. 

“Wow, that’s pretty,” Callum said, transfixed on the light. 

“I can also do this with it.” She squeezed her hand into a fist, and it became one light. “This one’s not really that exciting, but I thought you’d like it.” 

“No, it’s really cool. Thanks for showing me.” 

“Well, I thought you might like it and you did do me a favor. If you were a mage, I’d show you how to do it. Maybe one day I will, anyway. When it’s not so late.” 

“You can still show me,” Callum said, almost hopefully. Mage or not, any trick she showed him would satisfy. 

“I don’t have enough materials on me right now, but if I went to my room, I could find some.” She suggested. “Now, just imagine what we could do with dragons.” 

Callum froze. “What?” 

“Well, I mean, we can’t use them. Not unless something happened to them, but we could come up with some brilliant stuff to keep them in line.” She said excitedly. 

“Why? I, uh, I mean-- The trainers seem to do a good job.” 

“It can be better. At least, that’s what my father says. They’re still not safe to be around. Not really. Not yet, anyway,” Claudia’s smile, for the first time, sent something chilling trickling down his spine. It hadn’t changed. It was still a warm, beautiful smile, but something about what she said was distracting him from it. “Oh, Callum, just imagine. These dragons could be _so_ useful to us. To _humans_. You won’t need to be a mage or- or anything! It’ll really level the playing field with Xadia. The Dragon Keep was the best thing we ever did.” 

“Yeah?” Callum gazed at the massive building not far from them. 

“Yeah! If we could control the dragons the way the elves can, we wouldn’t be at a disadvantage anymore.” 

“The elves don’t control their dragons though,” Callum said. “They’re companions. They bond with them.” 

“But they still use them in their wars. It puts us a gap between our militaries.” 

“Yeah, but, you know, and I’m just throwing it out there, maybe we should try it their way. It seems to work for them.” 

“But elves have magic. That makes all the difference. Humans aren’t born with magic and it makes it harder for them to bond with humans. Some even won’t.” 

“Who said that?” 

“My father,” she said. “Not to mention… is it wise? To bond with dragons? Then there’s the question if we even could. Nobody knows. The elves haven’t _allowed_ humans to bond with them the way they have. With The Dragon Keep, we can find out, right?” 

“I think we can.” 

“You think so?” 

“Why not? Your dad’s probably not sure.” 

She gave him an odd look, but still smiled, looking out at the keep with him. “Maybe. We’ll find out, won’t we? The keep is good for humans though. We can finally have dragons on _our_ side.” 

Their side. 

Human’s side. 

The Greater Dragons of Xadia had their alliance, and it was with the elves, but did the Lesser Dragons really get a say in all this? He wasn’t sure dragging them into service was the answer. The history between elves and humans was murky at best. 

It wasn’t only humans. Elves had done many things over the years, all leading to the war’s buildup. It was no secret they thought themselves superior to humans. Then again, humans thought the same. 

He doubted a dragon has _never_ bonded with a human, but elves had a different understanding of the world. Of nature. Were they perfect? Not by a longshot. He recalled his mother. The attack that killed her. 

The revelation that it’d been an elven order. 

Callum had been too young for the fury. 

Now, grief and fear. That’s what consumed him in the time after. 

But none of that changed the fact that elves understood the dragons better. And his mother’s death didn’t make it okay to bend them into submission. 

Callum stayed; Callum listened. 

But he didn’t go down to Claudia’s room to see more magic. Suddenly, it didn’t feel quite as innocent after their discussion. They still talked about other things, moving on from the less than complex discussion of dragons. He still laughed with her and had a good time, but… he didn’t leave feeling quite like he thought he would. 

Truth be told, he wasn’t entirely sure what he felt. He couldn’t put his finger on it. 

Earlier, he’d gone to see the Tempest before meeting with Claudia. Callum gave him his dinner, the promised goat Callum managed to grab from the butcher. Upon arriving, he noticed the dragon staring at the windows, a rumble in his chest. 

He didn’t eat right away and seemed to slump against the bars even as he ate his food. It seemed to make the dragon feel better, but there was still the occasional glance out the windows. To the sky. 

“You miss flying,” Callum had said. 

The Tempest purred, appreciative that Callum was there to keep him company, but also somber. Homesick, maybe. Perhaps night was when he did a lot of his flying. Either way, the dragon’s wishes were clear enough, big blue eyes gazing out. Callum reminded himself to stay a little longer the next time. Stare at the sky with him and imagine what flying would feel like. He’d never know, but he could at least make the night a bit less lonely for them both. 

Now, walking back to his room, guilt bubbled into Callum’s throat. Was he playing a part in this? How the dragons --at least this one dragon -- were treated? After making sure he was okay, Callum had left, still anxious for his date with Claudia. 

He came out of it questioning… well, everything. 

Until the Tempest, Callum spent so much of his time trapped by fear. Trapped by all the thoughts and nightmares that haunted him. Dragons had not been his friends. They’d been his ghosts. 

Now, in such a short span of time, things _were_ different. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel surrounded by the ghosts that turned his life upside down. For a long time, he couldn’t help but see all dragons as _that_ dragon. The red scales, the massive wings and eyes that burned fire. Amber. That eye was vivid in his mind, a curse that came with having too good of a memory. Callum immediately shoved the memory away. Once or twice, he’d drawn the memory out on paper, hoping that would somehow get it out of his system. Help him… deal with it. Somehow. 

After laying on his bed and taking deep breaths for what must have been hours, and exhausting his lungs, burning them with dry air, he never did it again. 

At least, he could still draw his mother’s face. She always had the gentlest smile, but dragon claws would always creep in his mind around her memory. 

Then, the Dragon Keep became a part of Callum’s life. 

He felt inclined to participate. To support whatever it is he thought his stepfather needed. It made every day feel suffocating and worse, but he’d done it. 

Things had changed. They’d changed very quickly, but it was real and Callum could breathe now. 

He couldn’t fly. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he was free of this anxiety, but he could breathe. 

But the Tempest couldn’t even fly now. 

Wasn’t that the same thing for a dragon? Callum was supposed to be fixing this, not just _letting_ it happen. 

“I promised we’d do this together,” Callum said to the Tempest before he left. “I’m going to keep it.” 

The Tempest gazed at him and breathed softly, rustling his hair again. Callum meant it. He hoped the dragon knew that. 

But his stepfather. 

His stepfather _needed_ this to work. 

His stepfather who was trying _so hard_ to redeem himself; pushing for a lasting peace. It was the king’s goal. Sometimes, Callum wondered what happened. What finally changed his mind. 

The hall was quiet, fire crackling on the torches, the moon lighting his path. He was tired, mentally and physically, and relished a night’s sleep. 

But he saw her before he heard her. 

Rayla was in the oddest creeping position, bent at the knees. Her white hair almost nestled into the tan fur of her hoodie. It framed her shoulders, her heart-shaped face was in a less than happy state. She was looking up, searching the ceiling. 

“ _Luna_ ,” she hissed “Luna! I know you’re up there. Get down here _right now_ or so help me…” 

“Uh…” Rayla snapped her attention to him, wide-eyed at first, but her face immediately fell into distaste. “Hey, uh, hi. You’re that elf girl, right?” 

She frowned. “Hey, hi, I go by elf girl. No real name to speak of. You’re that human boy, right?” 

“Sorry,” he winced. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant--” 

She rolled her eyes. “I know what you meant. My _name_ is--” 

“Rayla,” he blurted. She glared at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off. I-I, uh, I just meant I remembered it. Your name that is. It’s a nice name. Not just for an elf, either.” 

Rayla stared at him, unimpressed. 

Callum rubbed the back of his neck. Wow, this was going down in flames. “So… not that it’s any of my business, but you looked like you were trying to find something…?” 

“You’re right. It’s none of your business.” 

Callum flinched. Okay, maybe he deserved that. Bad first impression, after all. She was still looking at the ceiling, searching for something, pausing every now and again as if she might have found it. He looked up, too. What was she looking for? 

Something crooned in his ear. Callum jumped, covering his mouth to keep him from yelping aloud. There was nothing there, but he _swore--_

“ _Luna.”_

White like moonlight with green eyes and lavender eye markings that matched Rayla’s blue ones, the Midnight Crescentback curled out of nothing, bobbing her head and chittering. 

“Ha ha, very funny,” Rayla scolded, but scratched Luna anyway. “Are you done now? Runaan’s going to kill me if he sees you wandering around like this. What are you doing?” 

Luna’s prancing made her amusement clear as day. 

“It’s not funny!” 

“I mean,” Callum said, his lips twitching into a smile. “It was a little funny.” 

Rayla glared at him. 

He hunched his shoulders under her glare. “I’m just saying, she got me real good. I almost had a heart attack. Does she do this all the time?” 

Her glare held for a brief moment. Then, it softened. “Yes.” That soft glare turned on Luna, who was still in a good mood about her fun. “Even when she knows she’s supposed to be on her best behavior.” 

Callum shrugged, smiling. “I can’t blame her. It’s a new place and all. She’d want to explore it.” He paused, his hand moving just barely. “Is it okay if I touch her? She’s… beautiful.” 

Rayla inspected him. She crossed her arms. “That’s up to her, I suppose.” 

For a split second, Callum’s heart beat so hard they could probably hear it, but he extended his hand and took one step forward. Luna dipped her head curiously. She trotted right up to him and bumped his hand with her nose. In fact, she took no time at all in circling him eagerly, inspecting him like a child who met a new fun person to play with. She nudged him forward with her nose as if presenting him to Rayla with a stance of pleasant anticipation. 

“She’s so friendly,” Callum laughed and rubbed her nose. “How long have you two been together?” 

Rayla looked him over. She uncrossed her arms. “Our whole lives. Runaan gave her to me as an egg when I was practically a wee baby.” 

“Wow… If she’s like this with me then she must really love you, if you’ve been together forever.” 

Rayla snorted, but a small smile curved her lips as Luna came back to her. “Well, I hope so. If she doesn’t like me by now, then I’ve got no chance. Isn’t that right?” 

Luna trilled at her. 

“Yeah, I know. You ready to go?” Rayla scratched her dragon lovingly. “Tomorrow I have to figure out how to return the whisk you took.” 

“Whisk?” 

“She has a thing for kitchen utensils. Whisks are her favorite. Has a little horde of them at home.” 

Callum chuckled. “That’s kind of cute.” 

“It stops being cute when all your whisks go missing,” Rayla said, but her smile remained. It fell, but curious eyes turned to Callum. “... what’s your name? It’s not actually human boy, is it?” 

His mouth twitched. “No, it’s, uh-- My name is Callum. And… I should probably start over.” He clutched the strap of his sketchbook. “What’s your name?” 

Rayla’s brows raised slightly. She ran a hand over Luna’s scales, inspecting Callum with a more amiable eye this time around. “Rayla. And this is my Midnight Crescentback, Luna. She seems to like you for some reason.” 

“Well, that’s good. I meant what I said. She’s beautiful. And I appreciate her sense of humor. Even if it did almost make me scream.” 

Rayla snorted and turned to leave with Luna. “You know, you’re the first human I’ve met who doesn’t treat our dragons like they’re just our war machines. One of the first, anyway.” 

“Oh,” was all he managed to say, watching her leave. “Sorry about that.” 

She glanced over her shoulder. “Good night, your highness.” 

Callum bit his lip. “You _really_ don’t have to call me that.” 

Rayla paused, turning to look at him just as she was about to disappear around the corner. “Callum, then.” 

Then, she was gone. 

And he was standing there, like an idiot, repeating it back to himself. 

“Callum, then.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This I think is the longest chapter so far? It's also the chapter that marks 1/3 point of the fic. More happens from here on out and it gets more exciting now that Callum and Rayla have met. I really liked writing Callum and Rayla's first real meeting. Like, just under different circumstances. Nobody is in danger or at swordpoint. Just an elf girl and a human boy meeting with a dragon. Please, stay tuned and check it out! The plot only thickens from here. I wonder where Ezran keeps doing...
> 
> Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	6. Red

The day came. It took ages, but it was time for the Xadians first real visit. Callum wasn’t entirely sure what the difference between their preliminary visits and their “real” visits were, but he supposed it involved the scope of the operations they allowed the elves to see. 

Either way, Callum felt especially obligated to be part of the day’s proceedings. He could tell his stepfather appreciated it and, for once, both his sons were present. Whatever Ezran was up to these last couple weeks, it certainly wasn’t anywhere Callum had been these past couple weeks. 

Admittedly, the keep kept drawing Callum in, it’s where the Tempest was located after all. It made him a bit nervous to think anything might happen to him in the course of the tour. So, Callum visited him earlier in the day with a good steak to eat. He also dropped by right before the Xadians arrived to make sure he was alright. It was weird, actually, to think he got anxiety over the dragon’s wellbeing, even in the smallest circumstances. 

Viren was too busy to notice Callum coming and going. At least, this morning he was. Something had put Lord Virenin the foulest mood Callum had ever seen. He took a wide berth around the mage. A black cloud stalked him and even his own children didn’t seem to know what was making him scowl. They also kept their distance. 

So, as the hour was upon them and the Xadians arrived in their full diplomatic presence, King Harrow stood by as the proceedings occurred. They toured nearly every inch of the place, close inspections in every corner. Callum noticed nobody got to see Viren’s office. 

Or the Tempest’s cell. 

After the inspection of the keep, they saw the dragons being what Callum could only describe as paraded. Of course, they only displayed the most trained dragons. A fact that didn’t escape Runaan’s notice. 

He made it clear that he was no fool. “These dragons are under the thumbs of their trainers. It isn’t a mutual relationship.” Several of the elves chimed in agreement. “One cannot buy a dragon’s trust and respect with the fear of cages.” 

“And no one intends to,” King Harrow said. “That’s the last thing I or any of us want.” 

“Then you shouldn’t train them like this.” Rayla said. “You should treat them like companions. They’re friends, not war mounts.” 

“Believe me, I completely agree with you, but humans are new to dragons as they are to us. This is not only for our safety, but for theirs as well.” 

It was obvious Rayla wanted to say something else, but she stayed quiet. Callum caught her eye, and he smiled apologetically. Her face was unreadable, but his smile made her gaze soften slightly. She looked at his feet, then found his face. She lingered. 

When she looked away, the slightest disappointment pinched him. 

She stuck close to Runaan and Callum stayed close to his stepfather. Her gaze on the king flickered between a mixture of emotions; all just under the surface and mostly evident in the violet of her eyes. 

He couldn’t really blame her, despite understanding his stepfather’s point. Why would they see their method as justified? Callum started to doubt the justifications as well. Flipping through _The Dragons of Xadia_ the night before, Callum read more about the typical behaviors of the Tempest Crescentback. 

_The Tempest Crescentback is a vindictive dragon. From an ancient Xadian proverb, it does well to remember: a dragon does not forget. However, the Tempest Crescentback seeks retribution and satisfaction. It will protect its own with all the pursuit and might of lightning and thunder._

Further down the page, he’d read another small passage: 

_The Tempest Crescentback is unique to the Crescentback breeds in that it covets stormy weather. As a stormdragon with a tough exterior, the Tempest is known to enjoy the crackling of lightning on its skin._

He took two things from those passages. One, the Tempest could withstand _lightning_. Enough evidence for Callum to say he was… fairly strong. A lot stronger than Callum, at least. Callum probably didn’t scare him much. If ever. Second, if the Tempest was a vindictive dragon, then why didn’t Callum’s presence ever bother him? 

Humans were the ones who dragged him into that cage. The Tempest wouldn’t have been completely unjustified in being very wary, if not downright hostile at humans in general. But the Tempest Callum visited multiple times a day wasn’t. He didn’t even seem bothered. 

The only reason Callum could think was the intelligence he’d read about and witnessed. The only explanation was the Tempest not only didn’t see him as a threat, but even as a way out of the cage he was in. Callum wished he could ask. The fondness the dragon had for him -- and Callum for the Tempest -- was nice. It changed a lot of Callum’s feelings in a short amount of time. 

It made Runaan sound more logical. Justified. 

Regardless of why the Tempest liked him, it didn’t change the fact that the dragon _seemed_ to have some fondness for him. He appreciated the food he got. Even the company. There was some kind of friendship there. 

The Tempest was stuck down there because of a cage. Did Callum owe his newfound friendship to that cage? 

It was a lot to take in. A lot to consider. He still thought of Claudia, her magic and her view of dragons at large. 

At the end of all those mental roads, Callum was still asking himself where did he stand in all of this. It didn’t seem like it should matter so much to him, but it did. He thought about it often. 

That morning, Callum got to the keep early enough to see the Tempest. He brought him a cut of pork and some pears. For a while, Callum just talked. 

The Tempest seemed to listen, giving his opinions in growls and grunts and snorts and other dragon noises Callum found hard to describe. Callum talked about Claudia and the Tempest seemed rather attentive when he talked about her. 

Whatever the reason, the Tempest knew Claudia. Before, it hadn’t concerned him. Now, he wondered why. After all, Callum wasn’t at the keep all hours of the day. 

The feeling that he was implicit in the exact issue Rayla mentioned nagged at him. 

Guilt. 

His head hurt after a while, but guilt was nagging at him and he wasn’t sure if he could avoid it much longer. It was making him think and even overthink this issue far more than he ever thought he would. His thoughts were going around in circles. 

And every time he thought about ending this cycle of guilt, his stepfather came to mind. 

What was he going to do? Stress the man out more with Callum’s concerns? What would King Harrow even say to his stepson? After all, that’s all he was right? His stepson. 

Whatever the case, the Tempest seemed to notice when these things were on his mind and would ruffle Callum’s hair whenever he got too quiet. As if to tell him it did nothing to worry about it right then. 

After the Xadians left, Callum stayed on the ramparts, trying to find a moment to quiet the storm in his head. His thoughts weren’t making much sense to him anymore. 

“Oh, hi Callum.” 

Callum looked up. Despite his mess of thoughts, Claudia still made his heart skip a beat. Her smile still lit something up in his head. “Claudia. I, uh, I didn’t know you’d be here.” 

“I’m always around, aren’t I? Hey, but I saw you and I thought of something you might like I know I didn’t have much prepared the other night.” 

Callum smiled. “It’s alright. You don’t owe me anything.” 

“No, but I want to. You did me a favor. Now, look at this.” She pulled out some kind of crystal ball. No, an orb. He frowned for a moment, then his mouth fell open as he witnessed the lightning crackling inside, the clouds and wind swirling within. 

His eyes wide, he asked “What _is_ that?” 

“This,” she lifted it better for him to see. “Is a primal stone. They’re insanely rare. This right here is the essence of a primal source. All in the palm of my hand. Pretty cool, huh?” 

Callum’s mouth fell open. 

“ _Yeah_ ,” He had the strongest urge to draw it. “Claudia, this is incredible. Where did you get it?” 

“My father gave it to me,” she said proudly. “In here is a storm from the peak of Mount Kalik. It means that no matter where I am, as long as I have this? I can do things like _this_.” 

She drew out something in the air, a glowing symbol written out with an elongated finger. 

“ _Asprio_.” 

She blew out a breath at him, soft and-- was that peach? 

“Peach?” 

“Ezran shared a jelly tart with me,” she chuckled. “Sorry.” 

“No, you smell good.” He almost choked on his own spit. “I mean, it smells good! Your breath. I mean--” 

Claudia laughed. “It’s okay. Thanks, actually. Nice to know my breath doesn’t smell. Here,” She held his hand, caressed his palm with a thumb. He swore he died for a moment. Then, she put the primal stone in his hand. “Hold it. Feel it.” 

He became transfixed on the storm in his hand. Where Claudia’s thumb had been. Now, it was just… storm and sky and lightning right between his fingertips. The feeling sent something crackling in his veins. 

“It’s…” He said absently. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.” 

“It’s powerful.” 

After a minute, he handed it back. “Claudia that was…” He couldn’t describe. Callum shook his head. “Thank you.” 

She smiled. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I thought it’d be better than what I showed you.” 

“Hey, any magic is better than none. You’re so lucky to be able to do things like this. I’m not really good at anything.” 

Claudia made a face at him, half-amused, half-exasperated. “Don’t say that. You’re drawing skills are better than anybody I’ve ever met. If I could do it or find someone better, I would have, but you’re the best.” 

Callum’s throat went dry. “Wow, thanks Claudia.” 

“No problem. I have to go, but we’ll see each other later, okay?” 

She left without really waiting for a response and he shook his head. Only a few minutes ago he’d just been contemplating the likelihood of Claudia treating the dragons poorly, the Tempest in particular, and here he was just… smitten every time she came around. 

Way to have his priorities in check. 

The surrounding air suddenly felt… warmer. Weird and warm in a way he knew it wasn’t supposed to be. 

Something invisible snuffled in his face. Callum shook his head. “Luna?” 

The dragon danced out of her camouflage and trilled at him. Luna circled Callum, nudging him this way and that as if trying to get him to do something. 

Callum rubbed her snout. “Hey, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Rayla?” 

Luna made a noncommittal noise. Rayla was around and fine. Perhaps, Runaan being here with his dragon, Athena, made her feel comfortable enough to stray and just explore freely. No doubt, Rayla was looking for her. If she wasn’t looking, she was not happy about it, at least. 

Sniffing him, Luna warbled. Could she smell the food he’d given to the Tempest? Could she smell the Tempest? After all, their breeds were related. Did that even matter? 

The look she gave him, her head cocked, told him enough. “Don’t go looking,” he whispered to her, praying she understood. “You’ll get him in trouble. And I won’t be able to see him anymore.” 

Perhaps it was the years of being around elves, but Luna seemed to understand it well enough. Callum wasn’t entirely sure, but she bounced around him a little. 

Below the ramparts, Rayla called Luna back to her side as the Xadians began filing out of the keep. They were done for today, but they would be back. Tomorrow. Probably less pleased than they were today. Callum was going to have to check on his stepfather after this one. 

Callum stayed for some time after they left. Perhaps, some part of him was afraid to leave while Lord Viren remained, still agitated and still close enough to the Tempest that he might take it out on the dragons. After all, his stepfather was still here, and he looked more tired than usual. 

Soren left on Varius and, for the first time, Callum felt a twinge of envy. He’d never fancied flying on a dragon before. But things had changed, and he watched as Soren soared as he’d done hundreds of times before, Varius having not a qualm or any sign of hesitation. 

Callum sighed. His head hurt. He just wanted to take a nap, but even that seemed scary sometimes. Every once in a while he saw-- 

Red. 

Callum turned his head, ruby red in his peripheral. 

It was large. 

Red like blood. Red like a memory. 

The dragon was heavily chained and roped every which way as they dragged him through, green eyes contracted to slits as he squirmed and snarled. If he’d been free, the men dragging him in would have been as good as dead. 

If the Xadians were here, he wondered if they would have argued with their methods. 

The dragon had a scar on its left side. In Callum’s mind, it was still bleeding. 

But all of that was far away; cold drippings sent a chill down his spine that made it hard to breathe. He kept flashing back and forth. Past, present, past, present. 

“ _Callum!”_

_Her voice was called to him as he cowered against a tree. Her polearm had dragon’s blood on the end._

_His mother leapt out of the way, but when she moved, she moved to the exposed Callum._

_Callum only saw her leaping toward him._

_Toward him._

_He saw her brown eyes and their desperation to reach him._

_The dragon’s tail whirled and sent her flying. He heard the sick thud of her hitting the tree. He saw her struggle to get up._

_He saw the blood leak from her mouth._

_The dragon flew off; he didn’t know where and Callum didn’t care. He screamed and ran to his mother. He wanted to hug her. She held his hand and looked at him._

_She held his eyes._

_Her breathing rattled. It stopped._

The world spun as Callum found his way through the keep. His breathing wasn’t right. It wasn’t regular. It was too shallow, too deep. 

He was too aware of it. 

His chest hurt. His head ached. 

His hand shook even as he yanked open the cell door and slammed it shut. He saw the Tempest startle into an upright position. Callum didn’t know why he was here, what he even thought would happen, but his body found its way here and his mind struggled to stop shifting between the memory of his mother’s death and the reality that the dragon who killed her was in the same building as him. 

The Tempest made a noise as Callum half-sat, half-collapsed beside the cage. 

Everything felt cold. 

And, yet, the world felt unbearably hot. 

He struggled to breathe. The Tempest whined at him. 

He licked Callum’s face and Callum absently petted his muzzle. 

They stayed like that for a while. 

Until the world stopped trying to collapse on him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! First of all, I'm so sorry I haven't gotten to your guys comments yet. I have seen each and every one of them, but I haven't been able to sit down and reply to them. Normally, I reply to all of them before posting, but I haven't gotten a chance to. I WILL reply to all of them! I just need a couple days to get to them. In the meantime, I did not want to wait to give you guys this new chapter! You got a glimpse of how Sarai died in this universe. And you got the little tidbit that Callum was not only there, but he was with her when she was effectively killed. Have fun with that little memory!
> 
> As always, thank you all for reading and I really appreciate the comments I get from you guys. They keep me writing and keep me on the ball and motivated and I read every single one, every word. Thank you all! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


	7. The Bars That Bind

The next morning, the Xadian party visited again. As always, Callum beat everyone to the keep. Again, Ezran was nowhere to be found. He would have to start asking around and almost did that morning, but the news of the Xadian party’s return visit piqued his curiosity. 

His worried stepfather also had Callum willing to go. 

The morning began much like the last; the Xadians inspecting the keep and irritating Lord Viren in the process. He didn’t like how the elves inspected the place as if they owned it, but their supervision _was_ part of the peace deal with Xadia. 

It didn’t exactly help that it all came from a place of mistrust. Elves did not, under most circumstances, trust humans. They _especially_ didn’t trust humans with dragons. Frankly, the elves were better and probably could have dealt with almost any rider the humans could produce. Then again, maybe Callum was being presumptuous. 

“Today, we will show you how to ride a dragon,” Runaan announced to the keep. “ _Our_ way.” 

He nodded to Rayla who promptly mounted Luna. She nodded back and patted Luna before bursting into the air, twirling like the wind itself. They soared around the keep, diving and flying together as one. Rayla even leapt off of Luna mid-air and, somehow, Luna was right there to catch her before she fell. 

Callum marveled at them. At her. Rayla did not hesitate. She held no fear of the ground below or the sky above. Not with Luna. 

He might have envied her, but… that freedom. Fearlessness. It seemed so attainable now. His mind naturally went back to the Tempest. Callum shook his head. He would never ride a dragon, but he could admire those who could. 

Rayla and Luna landed gracefully just as Runaan flew off on Athena. If Rayla and Luna were one, then Runaan and Athena were a part of the sky itself. They wove through the air seamlessly. Like silk and clouds. Not an ounce of hesitation anywhere in sight. 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Callum could see Lord Viren frowning beside King Harrow who was smiling. The king clapped as Runaan landed and dismounted in one swift motion. “You truly are a master.” 

“It’s the result of many years of training. Bonding. If a dragon doesn’t trust you, then you have nothing but a weapon.” 

  
“We are in agreement.” Harrow looked over the titan wing dragon. “She would save you from anything. Give her life for you.” 

Runaan ran a hand over Athena’s scales. “I wouldn’t want her to. But yes.” 

King Harrow’s gaze flickered down, then back to Runaan’s face. “You have shown us a true gift. My hope is that humans can have the same understanding and love you both have with your dragons.” 

Lord Viren inclined his head at King Harrow. Callum wondered what it was about. 

After the meeting, Callum caught up to Rayla on the ramparts, feeding Luna a Xadian orange and scratching her freely. 

“... you did so good today. I’ll get you a pear later, okay?” 

Luna warbled happily, proudly receiving her scratches. 

“There’s a dragon I know who likes pears.” Callum said, making Rayla turn her head. “Is that a dragon thing?” 

Rayla blinked at him, assessing. Luna nudged her and warbled again, this time encouraging. Rayla glared at her softly, but it quickly fell into something softer. “Crescentbacks like them, for sure. But they’re picky things. I think they just like fruit in general.” 

There was a pause between them as Rayla fed Luna another cut of orange. “You were amazing up there. In the sky?” Callum could have smacked himself. Where else would she be flying? “I just mean… you’re an _amazing_ flyer. I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Rayla looked over him. Another nudge from Luna. “... thank you,” she said proudly. “Even if half of it is Luna. She does a lot of the legwork. I trust her with my life.” 

“That’s incredible. You’re incredible. Both of you are, I mean.” 

Luna approached and snuffled him. Approval, perhaps? 

“She’s saying thank you.” 

Callum laughed. “You’re welcome?” 

Luna sniffed him again, setting her eyes on him for a moment. Callum’s stomach fell. Right. The Tempest. Then, he caught Rayla’s face from behind. She was… smiling? 

He smiled back at her. “I mean it. I know I barely know you, but you’re just… incredible.” 

If he didn’t know better, he’d say her face was turning red, but she cleared her throat and shook her head. “Thank you. I… that’s appreciated. And, yeah. Thanks.” She looked away. “Luna, we should go. Runaan’s going to leave us behind.” 

Luna snuffled another goodbye. Rayla waited for her. 

“Callum?” she said his name, cocking her head. 

“Yes?” Callum blinked. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow? I’m usually flying in the courtyard. I’m sure Luna would like to see you again. I could ask you some questions.” 

“What kind of questions?” 

“I’ll ask you tomorrow.” 

Then, she left. He felt the urge to follow after her. 

-:-:-:- 

The Tempest was much more receiving of Rayla than he was of Claudia. His nostrils flared and whatever Rayla’s scent was, it seemed familiar enough for him to relax and let Callum talk about the elvish dragon rider he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

“And she’s _fearless_. You should have seen her! I just… she loved being up there. And she was good at it! Better than any of the riders I’ve ever seen.” Not that he was an expert on the subject. “She wants to talk to me tomorrow.” 

He didn’t know why the prospect excited him so much. He’d known her for all of a few days, but she never ceased to impress him. And, apparently, Luna didn’t mind him either. Callum didn’t blame her for not trusting him entirely, but he was glad she’d give him the time of day. 

She was wary of him, but her invitation for a talk was genuine. Welcome. 

She seemed just as curious as he was. 

He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much. 

The Tempest made a noise. Amused? Laughing? 

“Listen, the king wants peace, right?” He retorted, his face warming. “I’m just helping. It’d be nice if we were friends. It could help in the long run… right?” 

After all, that was why he was so interested. 

The Tempest grunted. 

“And I think she’s cool.” 

Whatever it was, the dragon snuffled at him fondly and Callum rubbed his nose. He lingered there, his mind going back to a place he often tried to leave. It didn’t escape him that there were bars between the two of them. That the Tempest had been in this cell for more than a little while. 

He wondered if they ever came to see him, give him water or scraps. Callum provided these things in secret, but it shouldn’t have _been_ that way. He still noticed the way the Tempest looked at the sky from time to time. How he seemed to get darker as time moved on, the color of a heavy thundercloud. His strength was coming back, but he still seemed… 

Sad? 

Not completely there. 

That was Callum’s intuition, anyway. He didn’t exactly know the Tempest outside of this cage. 

Callum paused. 

_He didn’t know the Tempest outside of this cage_ . 

They’d never interacted outside of this room, had they? 

Sure, Callum visited him, but-- 

He might as well have been a more accommodating jailer. 

And the prime question coming to Callum’s mind: 

Did they hurt him? When Callum wasn’t here, did they hurt him? It’s not like he’d ever know. Did dragons even bruise? 

Maybe he’d never know. Or maybe he did. It wasn’t like they would never visit him. And Callum had seen what the Tempest was like with other humans. There was no way they-- 

Enough. This was enough. 

He could ask himself questions again and again and have the same thoughts run through his head endlessly, but that wouldn’t solve anything. 

And something about today-- 

Callum couldn’t stand to see him in this cage anymore. 

“I’ll be back for you tomorrow night. It’ll be different tomorrow night,” Callum said to him. “I promise.” 

The Tempest snuffled at him softly and laid back down when Callum left. 

-:-:-:- 

This idea had been a lot less nerve-wracking when he’d thought of it last night. Last night, he’d felt brave and determined and just… he just wanted the Tempest to have a better life than what was going on in that room. 

But now he was heading to the courtyard, his mind running through whatever he was going to say when he told her he’d been visiting a caged dragon that looked just like her own. 

And then having the audacity to ask her for a favor and _not_ run to her very scary dragon commander. Leader. Whatever he was. 

In the courtyard, Callum heard her before he saw her. She was flying high, taking Luna around and around in what seemed less like a drill and more like an instance where Luna wanted to play. They twisted and turned in the air, whizzing by and soaring. Callum heard Rayla laugh. It made him smile despite his nerves. 

He waited for her to see him. She seemed pleased and his breath hitched in his throat. 

“Callum, there you are. I wasn’t sure if you were going to--” 

“I need a favor,” he blurted out. He smacked himself on the forehead. “I’m sorry. I just… I need your help.” 

Rayla raised her brows when he looked to her, then she frowned. “With?” 

He didn’t answer right away, and he kept his voice quiet. “There’s something I think you’d like to see.” 

_Like_ was a bit of a strong word in this context. 

Callum pulled her aside and told her what was going on -- and begged her to keep quiet about it. The last person he wanted to hear about this was… well, everyone, but Viren and Runaan were amongst the two people he was mainly talking about. 

In any case, he won her over. 

“So, what exactly was your _plan?_ ” she asked him that night. 

They didn’t fly that night. Too risky. And it wasn’t like Callum had ever gotten on a dragon’s back before. So, they walked along the path Callum went through every other night. 

She wasn’t… pleased with the revelation that he’d been visiting a caged dragon. Or that they locked it up in the first place. She said something about humans and how Runaan had warned her about this. 

But she let up and ultimately agreed to help him once he told her his plan. 

Callum winced. “Okay, I know it sounds bad, but… I guess I just wasn’t sure _what to do_.” 

“So, you just kept him in there?” The look she gave him was scathing. 

“The king-- my stepfather needs this to work. I didn’t want to cause trouble.” 

“Right.” She said. With bite. “The king.” 

He was in no position to ask what she meant by that. In fact, he was lucky she didn’t rat him out, but that only made him look at her more. 

“What are you staring at?” she asked. Luna was around, Callum realized. Somewhere he couldn’t see. He also realized it didn’t bother him. 

“Thank you.” 

“What?” 

“Thank you. For doing this. For helping me get him out.” 

“He should already _be_ out. Why would you put him in a cage?” 

Callum frowned. “ _I_ didn’t put him in there.” 

“Then why did you keep him in there? You said the king needs this to work. Well, if you’d said something, we would have demanded him out already.” She argued. “This isn’t right. He’s a magical creature. Not an experiment.” 

“I _know_ that.” Callum stopped in his tracks. “Look, I _hate_ seeing him in there. But… my stepdad needs this peace to work, okay? What was I supposed to do? Bring this to him and make him worry more?” 

“I’m not really worried about what your king is worried about,” she said, turning to look at him. Luna appeared between them, revealing herself. 

“This peace is _important_ to him. It means everything to him. He wants this to work more than you know.” Callum bit his lip. Tried to bite his tongue. “And you don’t know him.” 

He locked eyes with her. Violet eyes mixed with something between regret, anger and irritation. 

And I don’t know you, he realized. 

“You knew somebody, didn’t you?” he asked, deflating. “In the war.” 

“In the war he started?” she turned away and started walking. “Yeah.” 

He did it because of what happened to Callum’s mother. He did it because the elves sent a dragon to kill her. He did it to avenge her death. 

Callum said none of these things. 

“I’m sorry,” he said instead. “That war was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened and… I’m sorry. For your loss, too.” 

Rayla froze. Her shoulders hunched. “... I’m… sorry for yours, too.” She turned back to him. Her face was softer, even if whatever feelings she had before lacked absolution. “I am. All of it was a mistake.” 

There was too much to unpack there. The history. The deaths. King Harrow could never talk about it in a way that Callum could understand. This moment wouldn’t fix that. 

“I know this doesn’t… help, much. I know it doesn’t really make sense, but I really _do_ appreciate you coming to help me.” They started walking again. “I can’t stand to see him like this anymore, but I don’t know what else to do.” 

“You’re trying to be loyal to your family,” she said weakly. “I get that. And you’re trying to help. I’ll admit I didn’t exactly expect this from you.” 

“What did you expect from me?” 

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I guess that’s why I wanted to talk to you. In the courtyard, I mean. Runaan told me what to expect from humans. You kept coming around and you weren’t really like how he said you might be.” 

“And what did he say?” 

She glanced at him. “... not nice things.” 

Callum laughed, if only to himself. 

She turned her attention to him. “What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing. You’re just-- you’re good at talking in circles. Didn’t really expect that from you. You seem like you’d be the direct type.” 

She didn’t know how to take that. Her head raised, then lowered, then raised again as if unsure how to respond and how to carry herself. “I am,” she said, raising her chin again. “I am direct. But I’m on an important mission here. I’m not supposed to just be discussing anything with just any human, you know.” 

He walked ahead of her. Turned to her. “But I’m not just any human. I’m Callum. Remember?” 

He grinned. She blinked at him and-- 

The crack of a smile. “I suppose so.” She walked past him, the smile growing a bit wider. “ _Callum_ … you’re lucky I like your name.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, why not?” She shrugged. “I think it’s nice.” 

-:-:-:- 

The Tempest was waiting for Callum as usual, but his attention went straight to Rayla before she even entered the room. He could smell her judging by the flare of his nostrils. 

“It’s alright,” Callum reassured him, reaching through the bars. Rayla knew better than to approach him right away. The Tempest’s pupils were in slits, trained on Rayla for any sudden moves. Callum stroked his nose. “This is Rayla. Remember me telling you about her?” 

“You told him about me?” 

Callum shushed her, his face warmer than normal. He placed a hand on the dragon’s horn. “It’s fine. I promise. She’s here to help.” 

The Tempest snorted. His nostrils flared one more time. He looked at Callum, then relaxed, a noise of resignation rising from his throat. 

“How did you ever get close to him?” she asked, carefully walking up. 

Callum shrugged, pulling out the Tempest’s dinner: a piece of beef and some pears. “He just kind of let me, to be honest. Then, I started bringing food, and he warmed up more.” 

“Interesting…” 

The Tempest stopped eating, his pupils slit again, and he focused on an empty spot. 

Luna appeared in that spot. She warbled a greeting at him, but kept her distance. On instinct, Rayla approached her dragon and stroked her muzzle. “We’re friendly,” she said. “We’re here to help.” 

Callum smiled when the Tempest went back to eating his food. “We’re going to get you out.” 

Whether the dragon actually understood or just knew something was different, Callum didn’t know, but they looked at each other and Callum nodded. He was doing this. Tonight. He refused to keep acting like the Tempest’s jailer or one of the humans that imprisoned him. 

He wasn’t sure _how_ Rayla would help him, but she was here and between the two of them he was sure they could figure it out. Granted, his plan could have been better. He had the idea of picking the lock or breaking the bars with Luna and the Tempest, perhaps the impact of their strength would-- 

Rayla pulled out two wicked blades from under her hood. Callum’s mouth dropped open. He kept a tight hold on the Tempest. “I didn’t know you had those.” 

“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t want you to know,” she said and got to work on the lock. 

“You can pick that?” 

“I can try. These blades are a bit big for picking, but this lock is pretty big too. If nothing else, I can try to break it, but it’s probably proofed against dragon fire and claws. I’m willing to bet my blades won’t so much as scratch it.” 

Callum sat nervously, hoping that this was a good idea and he wasn’t making a big mistake. He waited as Rayla tried with the lock. It opened in less than five minutes. 

Rayla stared at it. She slowly stood up, but didn’t put her swords away. 

“That was too easy.” 

“Well, I’m glad it was because--” 

“No, I mean-- That should have been harder to do. I shouldn't have been able to open it so fast. Callum, are you _sure_ nobody knows you come down here?” 

Callum shook his head. “I’m sure. I’ve been coming down here for weeks. If anyone knew, why would they just keep letting me?” 

She didn’t answer. 

She still didn’t put her swords away. 

“Let’s go,” she urged. “Will he come outside with you?” 

Callum hoped so. The Tempest edged out of his cage. Slowly. Slowly. 

He spread his wings and stretched his body. Callum let him do these things at his own pace. The Tempest was cautious, but reached his head out and snuffled at Callum. A thank you? Curiosity? Either way, Callum was more concerned with just how _big_ the beast was. He was at least twice Callum’s size now that he was uncurled. 

In the corner with Luna, Rayla hadn’t put her blades away. 

“You can trust him,” Callum said. 

“I trust him,” Rayla said. “But I also trust him to be a dragon that’s been locked in a cage for weeks.” 

The Tempest looked at her, his tail slowly moving. Ready to pounce at any moment. Callum ventured and scratched under his chin. “It’s okay. They’re _friends_. They’re with me.” 

Callum stepped between them. He had the Tempest’s attention and smiled. Whatever the dragon saw, he went back to stretching. 

“We need to get out of here,” Rayla said. “If he wants to fly away, then he needs to get going.” 

A lump formed in Callum’s throat. “You’re right.” 

He didn’t think about this part. 

He didn’t think it would make him feel like... 

Well, like _this_. 

But Callum owed it to the Tempest. If his mother’s death had taught him anything it was that, sometimes, people left you. Sometimes, you had to leave them. 

His fingers on the Tempest’s dry scales slowed and his mind misted back to the hours after his mother died. 

“ _Don’t make me go!”_

“ _Prince Callum… you have to let her go now.”_

_His stepfather wasn’t there yet. The guards were digging their fingers in him and pulling him off his mother’s corpse. She was ice cold, but he clung to her and laid his head against her still chest._

_He waited for her voice. Her lullaby. Her gentle words._

_Anything._

_There was nothing, and he screamed when they pried his arms from around her._

_He wailed._

_He didn’t stop crying even when his stepfather finally crushed Callum into a hug._

He never saw her again. Callum only ever saw her in the stone of her grave, but she was still gone. It never stopped feeling like she left. Or she was taken. He could never decide the difference, really. 

Callum blinked back any tears that threatened to spill. Not right now. He’d cry about this later. 

They led the Tempest outside and Callum still hadn’t quite let go. Rayla didn’t say anything, but when they got outside, he looked at her. Comfort? Reassurance? He didn’t know. 

She smiled softly. 

“Do you know his name?” 

Callum shook his head. 

“Dragons usually have their own names,” she said gently. “When they tell you, it means they choose you. You’re the one they want to bond with.” 

The lump in Callum’s throat grew. He turned back to the Tempest. “I wish I’d had time to learn your name,” he whispered. He bit down on his inner cheek. “But you miss your freedom. And I can at least give you that.” 

The Tempest snuffled Callum’s hair. He nudged him and bowed his head. 

Then, he turned and spread his wings. He launched himself into the air. 

A chain dragged him back down to the earth. 

Callum’s breath caught in his throat. The commotion startled him as the guards spilled into the arena, one chain after another keeping the Tempest grounded. The Tempest snarled and thrashed, but they kept him down. Rayla ran into the fray and knocked one of the guards out, but they quickly surrounded her to the point where he couldn’t see her. 

“No!” Callum ran forward, but one of the guards grabbed him and kept him back. He fought back. “Stop! You’re going to hurt them.” 

He didn’t know where Luna was, but he could hear her, roaring and snarling to get to Rayla. There was the beginning of dragonfire in his peripheral, then there was a commotion and-- 

“ _Luna!_ ” 

The tip of Rayla’s blade found the apex of a guard’s throat. No, wait-- 

Not a guard. 

Lord Viren stood where he’d approached. His staff in hand, he raised his brows. “And what do you intend to do with that? Kill me? As a diplomatic envoy?” 

“I don’t care,” she growled. “ _Let Luna go.”_

“Do you honestly expect me to put my men in danger? Your beast attacked them--” 

“Because of what you’re _doing_!” Callum shouted at him. “Lord Viren, I’m begging you. Please, don’t--” 

“Don’t _what,_ exactly?” Lord Viren glowered at him. “Don’t hurt them? Do you not understand that these people would all slit our throats and set fire to our cities if we so much as give them an edge to stand on? Look at her!” 

“She’s done nothing wrong,” Callum ground his teeth. “I _asked_ Rayla to be here.” 

“Because you have been coerced-- _brainwashed_ by this Tempest Crescentback! A vindictive, unholy beast! One of the most dangerous of the Lesser Dragons! Your soft heart has led us all here! And _she,”_ Lord Viren gestured to Rayla. “Has misled you twice that. Do you truly believe that her weapons are just for _protection--”_

Rayla pressed her sword to his throat. “We’d be _fools_ to walk into your kingdom, with our dragons, unprepared. Don’t think we don’t know what dark mages do with the dragons they find.” 

Lord Viren glared at her. Then, he snorted. “Very well, then. Kill me.” He raised his chin. “Kill me and let the war begin.” 

Rayla’s elbow bent. The sword retracted slightly. 

Hesitation. 

“Don’t say that to her,” Callum’s voice was soft. His eyes were not. 

The guards approached Rayla. She readied her blades for a fight. Dragons snarled-- 

“ _That is_ _ **enough.**_ ” 

The king had never sounded so venomous. Not in Callum’s living memory. 

The crownguard at his back were small compared to King Harrow’s glowering anger at the scene before him. Guards that weren’t holding dragons immediately stepped back from whatever they were doing. 

“What is the meaning of this?” King Harrow demanded. 

“Your majesty, I discovered Prince Callum cooperating with this elven girl to free this Tempest. I had him put away because he was a danger to the trainers and the other dragons.” 

The king frowned and raised a brow. “Put away?” 

“You _locked_ him in a cage for weeks! _I’m_ the one who had to feed him so he didn’t starve,” Callum fought against the guards restraining him. “Your majesty, please, he’s not a bad dragon. I know I shouldn’t have been this close to him by myself, but he’s _good_ and he doesn’t deserve to be left in a tiny cage to die.” 

The king narrowed his eyes at the guards holding Callum. “If you know what is good for you, I suggest you _both_ let my son go.” The guards obeyed, letting Callum go so fast he almost stumbled to the ground. King Harrow’s gaze softened. “Callum, _of course_ he doesn’t deserve that. Why didn’t you come to me about this sooner if you were so concerned?” 

Callum pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure how to answer. “I… I just didn’t want it to get in the way of everything that was going on.” 

The king sighed. He turned to Rayla. “Are you hurt, Rayla?” 

Rayla stiffened. She shook her head. 

“Good. Runaan will want to see you when he hears of this. I can’t imagine he would be very happy if you were.” He turned to Viren. “As for you--” 

“Your majesty--” 

“No. We will discuss this later. After _I_ make sure the Tempest is placed somewhere safe for the night. You will also let Rayla’s dragon go.” 

“ _Harrow_.” 

“ _Now._ ” 

They stared at each other for a split second. Viren hesitated. He bowed. 

The guards let Luna go. She snapped at them and returned to Rayla’s side, snarling protectively at them while Rayla smoothed down the crescent spines on her back. Rayla hushed her, keeping one hand on her saddle. 

“This is over. I won’t have any more trouble. Before the night is truly over, I must now explain this to the Xadians,” said King Harrow. He turned to Rayla and Callum. “I’d like the both of you to remain here and I will escort you both back to the castle.” 

“I can get back on my own,” Rayla protested. 

“I have no doubt that you can, but nothing will happen to you if you are accompanied by me. And as far as I’m concerned, your safety is my responsibility until you return to Runaan’s charge when we get back to the castle. “ 

Rayla didn’t argue, but it was clear she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Runaan after all of this. 

Callum stepped forward to go to the Tempest, but the king stopped him. “Your Majesty--” 

Something flickered in his eyes before he set sturdy hands on Callum’s shoulders. “Not right now, Callum.” 

“ _Please_ ,” Callum looked at the dragon still struggling on the ground. “Just let me help him.” 

“Tomorrow. Right now, he’s an agitated, cornered creature. I won’t risk you getting hurt. Let us get him somewhere where he can calm down.” 

“Can’t we just let him free?” 

“Not if he’s upset enough that he might attack someone. Tomorrow, Callum.” The king’s voice broke a little. “I promise.” 

Callum felt the faintest touch on his arm. He looked over his shoulder at Rayla, pulling back as if she weren’t sure what she was doing. Still, the tone in her voice was anything but harsh. “Callum…” 

His eyes burned. “I can’t just leave him like this.” 

“I know, but... he’s kind of right.” She pointedly did not look at the king. “We don’t want him to end up getting hurt.” 

Luna groaned at him, tugging gently on his sleeve. 

He hated this. 

He really hated this. 

Callum stepped back, but he didn’t turn away. Rayla never left his side which made it easier -- if only a little -- to deal with the fear that crept into his heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the longest chapter yet! This chapter is almost at the halfway point for this fic. It's right about there and this was an important chapter, marking other important chapters. Soon, very soon. The Tempest also, for me, becomes more and more real as the chapters go on. His place in Callum's life a little more solidified each time. The chapters coming after this are going to be very important and the fic is really going to wind up. 
> 
> As always, guys I love it when you leave those reviews, they really keep me going and really keep me going. I sincerely thank you guys for your patience with me on this fic and Sides of the Moon because with school going it's harder to write, but I'm going to keep going! Train's not stopping anytime soon! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!


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